24-7
by SourNoodles
Summary: It's Max's first day at Blackwell Academy and she is immediately seen as the shy cliché geek. However, during her first science class, she meets Chloe for the first time; and the two form an unlikely friendship, although Max immediately develops awkward feelings for the other girl. [AU story where Chloe still studies at Blackwell and Rachel isn't missing. No powers, just fluff.]
1. First Impressions

**Chapter 1: First Impressions**

Max reluctantly peered into the science classroom and saw it was crowded with numerous Blackwell students; all occupied with some specific task.

 _Thank god, I'm not late._

Max sighed and hesitantly entered the room; avoiding all eye contact by staring at the floor. She approached the back corner of the room and leaned on the wall; twiddling her thumbs in anxiety.

 _Relax, Caulfield. Just act like you're not a cliché dork and you'll be fine. Just act, I'm good at acting, right? Ugh._

"Okay class, take your seats." Ms. Grant's voice made Max jump; shaking her from her thoughts. The students obeyed and scrambled to their seats, but Max realized that she had yet to be assigned one. Ms. Grant's attention was brought to Max, who still awkwardly stood in the corner. "I'm sorry, are you in the wrong class?"

 _Shit, she's talking to you. Say something!_

"Uhh…"

 _Are you cereal, Max?! Brain, work!_

Ms. Grant only continued staring at the shy girl; awaiting a response. Max could hear the members of the class snickering at her stuttering, and she mentally groaned.

"No. I'm uhh…in this class."

"Oh. Can I see your timetable?" Max began to fumble around her messenger bag for her timetable to no avail.

 _Worst time to lose your timetable like, ever._

She furiously dug around the bag's contents but still couldn't find the folded sheet of paper. She felt her cheeks grow red from embarrassment and could almost hear the other students whispering about her.

"Pockets?" Ms. Grant's suggestion caught Max by surprise, causing her to jump again. She dove into her pockets at the teacher's request and felt the urge to smash her head into a concrete wall repeatedly when she felt the folded paper in her left pocket.

Max handed the timetable to Ms. Grant and could only observe as the older woman began scanning the document.

Her eyes couldn't help but be drawn to the back of a blue-haired girl's head; a navy blue beanie perched on top. Max couldn't help but smirk at the bold choice of colour. She internally shrieked when the girl turned to face her and she swiftly turned her attention to the floor.

"Okay, that checks out. Take a seat." Ms. Grant handed back Max's timetable and turned around to head to her desk.

"Oh um…I don't…have a seat."

"Oh, right. Umm…" Ms. Grant studied the room for any empty seats until a voice broke the brief silence.

"She can sit next to me." It was as if a massive neon sign had appeared over the bluenette's head once she spoke. The entire class turned their heads in synchronised fashion as the girl subtly raised her hand to catch Ms. Grant's attention.

Max couldn't help but stare at the girl's face. The colour mixed with her beauty was beckoning her.

 _Oh man. She's…she's really…Ok stop gawking at her, it's totally creepy._

"Oh. Well then, I guess that's settled. You can go sit next to Chloe."

 _Chloe. That's a nice name._

Max grinned as she silently shuffled to the seat next to Chloe's; her eyes not leaving the floor for even a second.

Her lack of attention caused her to trip over her own foot and nearly collapse onto the floor. Laughter erupted throughout the classroom from everyone except for Chloe, who simply watched in amusement; a wide grin across her face.

Max blushed in humiliation and speed walked to her new seat. She sunk her head down onto the desk with her hands planted on the back of her head.

 _Nice going dork. Great first impression._

Ms. Grant began teaching her lesson but Max could only focus on the rather eventful first minutes of her science class.

Max soon got sick of the darkness of her thoughts and shifted her head to her left; her sight being greeted by Chloe staring at her with an amused smile.

Max's face grew hot and her eyes widened.

 _She's looking at me. Why is she looking at me? Why am I still just staring back? Why am I thinking about this stupid shit when I should be doing something? Do something!_

Max could only throw her head back down into the desk. She heard the muffled sound of a chuckle from her left.

* * *

The rest of the class was rather uneventful; or at least Max thought since she hadn't paid attention for the entirety of it.

She bolted out the door to avoid any conversation to rush to her next class; photography. Just as Max had left the room, a voice stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Hey, wait up!" The voice was too familiar.

 _Oh god, is that Chloe? She's gonna make fun of you. I know it._

There was a gentle touch on her shoulder that made her jump. Chloe immediately retracted her hand as quick as she placed it from Max's reaction.

"Whoa, sorry I scared you." Chloe apologized as Max slowly turned to face the bluenette. It was the first time she was able to behold the girl in her entirety.

Max immediately recognized the punk aesthetic; leather jacket, skull tank top, tattered jeans, and combat boots. Chloe observed as the blushing girl scanned her up and down.

"It's uhh…it's alright. Just a bit jumpy today." Max muttered her response.

"I could tell during science. Anyways, just thought I'd say a proper 'hello' since I didn't get to during class." Chloe extended her arm in front of Max, awaiting a friendly hand shake. Max nervously shook Chloe's hand and chuckled.

"Heh. Hello then, I guess. I'm Max."

"Chloe. But you knew that."

"I do."

"What you got next?"

"Uhh…Photography."

"Ah, you're one of those hipster photo geeks, huh?"

"I wouldn't say it like that…"

"It wasn't an insult. In fact, I find hipster girls sort of cute." Chloe shot Max an impish wink that caused her to blush for what seemed like the millionth time today. "So you're new here, right?"

"Yeah. First day."

"I could tell that too. Don't worry, Blackwell might seem intimidating at first, but once you get used to it, it becomes a piece of cake."

"That's good to know."

"Well, it was good talking to you, Max. Maybe I'll see you around." Chloe sent Max a final wave before walking off to merge with the Blackwell crowd.

Max could only watch Chloe walk through the mass of students in the hallways before disappearing past a corner.

She sighed and turned to face her photography classroom door. She nervously entered the room staring at the ground once again; her head filled with thoughts of her new potential friend.

 _She's really cool. Way too cool for me. Siiiiigh. Well, at least you have photography to look forward to. I hope._

* * *

Max wasn't able to pay attention to Mark Jefferson's lectures for the entire class, just as she did in science; all she could think about was Chloe. Even when she tried to focus on the photography, every term or word would somehow turn into a thought about the blue-haired punk.

Max exited Blackwell and laid her eyes on the students that populated the main campus. Max noticed the various activities the students took part in; from football to sketching to even a drone.

Max walked to her dormitory in solitude; her eyes not leaving the ground for anything.

 _So much for a great first day. Everything was a total mess. At least you met Chloe, a_ potential _friend. Emphasis on potential._

Max's thoughts were interrupted when she collided with another girl; causing them both to stumble backwards.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" A squeaky voice filled Max's ears as she rubbed her head from the momentary pain.

"Yeah…I'm good." She lifted her head to see a blonde girl reaching her hand out to her; her shiny hair in a bun with a concerned look on her face.

Max took the girl's hand and she was pulled up. She dusted her legs and regained her balance.

"I'm so sorry. I should have paid more attention." The other girl apologized.

"No, no. I wasn't looking; my fault."

"Let's agree it was both our faults." The girl smiled and giggled.

"Sure." Max returned the smile.

"I'm Kate Marsh."

"Max Caulfield."

"Oh wait; you're the new girl in my English class, right?"

"Now that I think about it, you're probably right. I remember seeing you there. I wasn't paying much attention to the lecture." Max rubbed the back of her head in mild guilt.

Kate chuckled. "Who does when it's Mr. Cohen talking?"

"Why, is he boring?"

"The definition of it." Max couldn't help but laugh at the remark. "So where you headed off to?"

"Oh um, just to my dorm."

"You wanna go grab some tea right now?" Max smiled at Kate's kind offer.

"That sounds great. Lemme just go put my stuff back and I can meet you by the fountain in a few."

"Sure! See ya then!" The two temporarily parted ways and Max watched as Kate practically skipped across the campus.

 _How the hell can someone be so damn cute? I want her as a doll so I can hug her all day. Ok, that sounded totally creepy. Think about something else, Max._

The obvious first distraction thought she was brought to was Chloe.

 _Okay, don't think about her! Ugh…_

Max finally made it to her dormitory and walked upstairs to the girls' section of the building.

Stepping into her rather bland room; Max felt the urge to throw herself onto the bed and sleep forever, but she was reminded of her plans with Kate.

 _Tea first, nap later._

Max tossed her backpack onto the floor and swiftly left her room as quickly as she arrived.

She hopped down the steps and jogged to the campus fountain; hoping that she hadn't taken too long.

She sighed in relief when she saw that Kate was nowhere to be seen.

 _Good, not late for once. I guess I can just chill for a little._

Max perched herself onto the stone fountain centered in the campus; the commotion of the other students being drowned out in thoughts.

 _Okay, maybe this day hasn't been_ too _bad. I mean, you have once possible friend and now you have a date with Kate. Heh, that rhymed. Actually, date sounds romantic. Plan? Agreement? Friendly gathering between two individuals?_

Max was interrupted by Kate waving and calling her name.

"Max!" Max stood up and the two met halfway.

"So, where to?" Max asked.

"There's this nice diner a short bus ride from here. You'll love it there. Arcadia Bay may have a lot of flaws, but the Two Whales diner almost outweighs all of them." Kate boasted with a smile.

"Lead the way, Cap'n Kate." With that, Kate and Max left Blackwell to the bus stop; immediately engaging in light-hearted conversation as they left.

* * *

"Meet any cool people yet?" Kate's question sparked more thoughts of Chloe.

 _Oh my dog, Max. Stop thinking about Chloe, it's super creepy._

"Just one." Max shyly answered.

"Who?"

"This girl named Chloe."

"Blue hair?"

"Yeah, you know her?"

"We've talked a little bit before. I have business class with her. We're not friends though. Just acquaintances I guess."

"Hmm." Max sipped from her Earl Grey tea; letting the warm beverage soothe her.

"She seems pretty cool though. I love her hair." Kate remarked as she stirred her tea.

"Yeah. She let me sit next to her in science since I had nowhere to sit. Thought that was nice of her."

"Sure is. I've seen her hang around with that Rachel Amber girl a lot. They seem to have a lot of fun together."

"Who's Rachel Amber?" Max turned her head in wonder.

"She's just another girl here at Blackwell. Lots of friends, totally punk."

"I can see why Chloe would dig her."

"Yup, they're kind of cute together." Max was taken aback by Kate's sudden remark. It threw her off from her claims of being very religious.

"Like, couple cute?"

"Totally."

"I thought you were Christian? Don't you frown upon that stuff?"

"Not me. I have my faiths and beliefs, but when it comes to love; I never judge." Kate brought her mug to her lips and quietly sipped. She lowered the cup and smiled at Max.

"But are you…"

"Gay? No. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just that it's not me."

"That's cool." Max nervously replied.

"Why, are you?" The brunette struggled to conceive a reasonable answer to Kate's question. Sexuality was something that Max had trouble understanding when it came to her own.

"I…I really don't know what I am. Sometimes I like boys, but sometimes I'm attracted to girls. It's pretty confusing." The words almost felt relieving to say; a weight that was now off her shoulders.

"That's totally normal. Girls your age go through this kind of thing all the time. Have you ever considered the fact that you may be bisexual?" The term sent Max into a moment of contemplation. It was plausible; being attracted to both genders.

"Not really. Guess I never put much thought into it."

"That's fine too. We don't have to talk about it right now."

The two drank in silence for a brief moment; staring out the window to be captivated by Arcadia Bay's afternoon sky.

Suddenly, the diner doors were swung open and the echoing sound of boots filled the room; colliding with the acoustic track on the jukebox.

Max's eyes immediately noticed the bright blue of Chloe's hair as the punk waved to one of the waitresses behind the counter. She paraded across the floor until she met Max's gaze.

"Oh, hey Max." Chloe innocently greeted the girl and approached the booth that she and Kate occupied. Chloe towered over the two sitting girls and noticed the tea in front of them. "Having a tea date?" Chloe smirked.

"Hey, Chloe." Kate awkwardly greeted the bluenette and sipped her drink.

"Mind if I sit here?" Chloe gestured next to Max which prompted a grin from Kate.

"Oh uh, sure." Max scooted over to let the taller girl sit.

"Hey, mom!" Chloe waved over to the counter where a waitress looked over. "Bacon omelette, pretty please?" She put on her best begging voice and puppy dog eyes. The blonde waitress could only roll her eyes as she entered the kitchen to request Chloe's order to the cooks.

"Mom? Your mom works here?" Max asked.

"Yup. It's kind of awesome." There was a short silence between the three girls before Max rose up from her seat.

"I gotta use the bathroom." Chloe immediately shifted her legs to allow Max to pass. "Uhh, where _is_ the bathroom?" Chloe pointed to the back of the diner where the restroom was located. "Uhh, thanks." Max clumsily shuffled to the back; cautious to not look awkward.

The nervous girl stumbled into the bathroom almost shaking.

 _Calm down, Max. She's just another student at Blackwell. Who's really pretty…_

Max buried her face into her hands and unleashed a frustrated groan. She switched on the tap for cold water and splashed her face to refresh her mind.

 _Okay. You're cool. Just go back out there, and have a nice chat. Don't be awkward. God, I'm such a mess._

Max pouted at her own reflection before returning back to her booth; where Chloe and Kate were giggling about something. Chloe noticed Max returning and rapidly nudged Kate, and the two immediately stopped laughing.

 _Were they talking about me? Oh dog, she was talking about what happened in science, I bet. Grooooaaaaan._

"Welcome back." Chloe greeted with a smile before scooting over to let Max return to her seat.

The three girls conversed about various topics; music, movies, art, and even boys; although Max got a light hint that Chloe felt uncomfortable with that final topic.

"Favourite song?" Chloe shot Max a surprise question; catching her off guard.

"Oh umm…" Max stuttered; digging through her brain to pick a single song she would consider her favourite.

"Tick, tick, tick…" Chloe taunted as she swung her upper body left and right to impersonate a ticking metronome.

"Hold on, I'm thinking…I mean, I really like To All of You by Syd Matters."

"Indie?" Chloe asked as she raised her eyebrow.

"Yep."

"Typical hippie." The bluenette remarked as she leaned back. Max stuck her tongue out and Chloe returned the playful gesture.

"What about you, Kate?" Max's eyes turned to Kate'; the innocent question surprising the girl.

"Huh?" Max giggled at Kate's bewilderment.

"Your favourite song."

"Oh, umm…I don't really have a favourite song." Max frowned at her unamusing answer.

"Fine, what songs do you _really_ like?" Chloe butted into the conversation.

"Hmm…I really like this one song called Mt. Washington, it's by-"

"-Local Natives!" Max interrupted Kate with a gleeful tone.

"Do you know it?"

"Hell yeah! I _love_ that song!" The two erupted with laughter as Chloe rolled her eyes and groaned.

"Ugh, hippie alert!" Chloe sarcastically complained.

"Digging like you can't bury…" Kate broke into song, and Max instinctively followed.

"Something that cannot die…"

"We could wash the dirt off our hands now…"

"Keep it from living underground…" More laughter arose from the two singing girls as the other customers simply stared at the booth in confusion. Chloe could only break the silence with the next lyrics of the song.

"Lazy summer goddess…" The punk embarrassingly continued the song; muttering the words out which only sparked even more laughter from Max and Kate.

"What happened to 'hippie alert'?" Max asked as she wiped tears of hysterics from her eyes with her hoodie sleeve.

"Hey, never said I didn't like hippie music." Chloe shot Max a wink. "Like I said, I find hipster girls cute."

"Well then, now it's your turn." Max pointed at the blue-haired punk with her fork that had a cut of bacon on the end of it, before inserting the food into her mouth.

"My turn for what?"

"Duh, your favourite song."

"Oh. Hmm…" Chloe leaned back into her seat and extended her index finger and thumb across her chin; imitating the universal gesture for thinking. "Probably Piano Fire by Sparklehorse." Max and Kate could only glance at each other and shrug as neither girl knew the song.

The rest of the afternoon was filled with more laughter and joy as the girls continued to share stories and opinions as they ate their meals.

They had only realized how long they had chatted for when they noticed the diner being painted a relaxing sunset orange. They finally decided to call it a day.

Kate offered to pay for the three of them and Chloe and Max thanked her for the thoughtful gesture; even offering to pay her back only for Kate to smile and decline.

The girls emerged from the quiet diner and were immediately hit by the gentle wind of September.

"Damn, it's starting to get late." Chloe said as she stared up at the late-afternoon sky; the cool autumn breeze running through the strands of blue hair that snuck out from underneath her beanie.

"Time flies when you're having fun." Kate remarked as she smiled.

"I can drive y'all back to Blackwell if you want. I got my truck parked down the road." Chloe offered as she pointed a ways down the block.

"That's fine. I gotta go pick up a few things from the convenience store the other way anyways. I can catch the bus later. Thanks though." Kate gestured the opposite direction of Chloe's truck.

"That's cool. Max?" Chloe turned her attention to the brunette beside her.

"Oh, umm…"

 _Come on, Max. It's just a ride._

"Sure, thanks."

"Okay, let's go then. Today was hella fun, Kate. We should totally do it again sometime." Chloe suggested.

"Yeah, we should. I'll see you guys tomorrow!" Kate waved at the departing girls and began strolling down the sidewalk to the convenience store.

The two girls walked to Chloe's truck in silence, and remained that way during the whole ride back; neither of them knowing what to say.

 _Holy dog, this is so awkward._

Max nervously bit her lower lip as she stared out the passenger window; watching Arcadia Bay zoom past.

Chloe halted in front of the steps to the Blackwell campus and turned to Max.

"Alright, here we are."

Max's daydreams were interrupted as she awkwardly turned to face Chloe.

"Oh, thanks for the ride."

"No problemo. Anytime." There was a brief silence and the only sounds that were heard were the chirping birds that snuck through the slightly lowered windows of the truck.

"Okay, I'll go now." Max muttered as she opened the passenger door and exited. She began walking up the steps until she was stopped by the sound of Chloe's voice.

"Max!" Max turned to face the other girl. Chloe smiled from within the car. "I'll see you tomorrow!" Max returned the smile.

"You will!" She shouted and waved.

"Try not to trip though!" Max blushed and frowned at the other girl's mentioning of the humiliating incident earlier that day.

 _I_ knew _she was gonna bring that up!_

Max could only turn and sprint up the steps; the echoes of Chloe's howling laughter ringing in her ears.

As soon as she knew she was alone, Max sunk her head down towards the floor and sighed. She had thoroughly enjoyed that afternoon with Kate and Chloe, but it had been a struggle to avoid being awkward.

Max stormed into her dorm room and threw herself onto the bed; letting her screams become muffled into her pillow.

She sat up and reached over to grab the red pillow decorated with her own name adorned with flowers that she and her mother had knitted together years ago; clutching it to her stomach.

 _What a day. It was totally fun to hang with Chloe and Kate, but every time I see Chloe I just get this weird feeling in my chest. What's wrong with me?_

Max could only let out another groan as she fell back onto her bed; the pillow still trapped under her arms.

 _Maybe it's just a first time thing. I'm sure it'll pass. Like the fever; it comes and goes._

Max brought the pillow to her face and cringed.

She heard her phone buzz from the floor and peeked over to inspect it. She picked up the phone and switched it on and was shocked to find a text notification from Chloe.

 **Chloe: hey max**

 **Chloe: i sort of added myself as a contact while u were in the bathroom at 2 whales.**

 **Chloe: u know u should really put a pw on ur phone**

Max yelped and swiftly covered her mouth. Her face grew hot as she read over the messages on repeat.

 _Oh god, why didn't I put a password on my own phone? I'm so stupid!_

Max had planned on securing her phone after she had purchased a new one recently, but had never got around to doing it because of her hectic move to Blackwell.

 _What do I do, do I reply? Of course you reply you idiot._

Max gripped her phone and immediately texted back a response.

 **Max: Whoops (~_~)**

 **Max: But hey, what's up?**

 **Chloe: first of all**

 **Chloe: NO EMOJI!**

 **Chloe: second**

 **Chloe: nm, hbu?**

 **Max: lol, didn't know you had such a bitter hatred for emojis**

 **Max: I'm just about to go hit the books**

 **Chloe: oh**

 **Chloe: do u want me to leave u alone?**

 **Max: No, dw**

 **Max: I like the company :)**

 **Chloe: ok, cool**

 **Chloe: and no emoji**

Max could only smile and hold back laughter as she read Chloe's messages.

 _God, she's so cute._

For the rest of the afternoon and through the evening, Chloe and Max texted each other back and forth; conversing even more than they had at Two Whales. Max's room was filled with light giggles until she noticed the clock on her desk read 11:43 PM.

Max stared down at her mathematics homework which was only halfway complete; with her English work not even started yet. Max couldn't care less. Her first day at her new school had been a total blast and she felt herself feeling more joyous than ever. She was stoked for coming days at Blackwell Academy.

* * *

 **A/N: Welcome to 24/7! So this is my second fanfic and I'm trying to write fluff this time, hope you like it so far. If you've read my other fic, Lost Without You, just know that I haven't abandoned it.**

 **I had the idea for a Pricefield fic for a while and finally got around to finish the planning for it. I'll be alternating between the two and will write them whenever I feel the mood. If I feel like writing angst, LWY. Fluff, 24/7.**

 **Be sure to leave comments and follow and fave the story if you like it so far, otherwise; stay awesome!**


	2. Scary Punk Ghost

**Chapter 2: Scary Punk Ghost**

Chloe snuck towards the unaware brunette who fiddled with her locker. She inched closer to her oblivious friend while grinning impishly, before finally planting her hands on Max's shoulders and blurting out to scare her.

"BOO-YAH!" Chloe exclaimed which prompted Max to yelp and skip a heartbeat. Nearby students briefly turned their attention to the sudden noise but immediately went back to what they had been doing before Chloe's prank.

"Chloe!" Max shrieked as she slowly recovered from her near heart attack. Chloe howled with laughter as her friend steadied her breathing back to normal pace with her hand on her chest and cheeks red in embarrassment.

"Get it? Boo-yah? Like I'm a scary punk ghost?" Max could only scowl at Chloe's clever remark. The punk nervously chuckled as she detected a thirst for vengeance in Max's sapphire eyes.

"Chloe, you nearly _killed me_!" Max playfully shoved her friend and crossed her arms.

"Aww, I'm sowwy." Chloe apologized in a baby-like tone. "Pwease fawhgive me?" She linked her hands and locked her fingers together in front of her, 'begging' for Max's forgiveness.

"You're such a dork." Max chuckled and playfully pushed Chloe's shoulder lightly once again before turning to enter the science classroom crowded with other students. Chloe beamed as she followed Max inside.

The two sat at their seats as Ms. Grant entered the room, hushing the conversing students once she appeared.

Chloe sunk her head down onto the desk and prepared herself to sleep through the whole class, when she felt a light nudge on her arm. She turned to see Max concentrating on the current lesson, but a small, folded piece of paper resting next to her.

Chloe unfolded the piece of paper, careful to not grab the unwanted attention of Ms. Grant, who was busy explaining something Chloe didn't care about or understand.

She could only smile at the contents of the note.

 **Hi. :)**

Chloe glanced up at the studying Max, who caught the blue-haired punk's gaze in her peripherals, sending her a returned look with a smirk.

Chloe dove into her pencil case and dug around until she retrieved a blue pen. She beamed as she began dancing the pen across the small paper.

 **NO EMOJI!**

She slid the note closer to Max and the brunette pinched the slip of paper and pulled it closer to her, still maintaining her feign concentration on Ms. Grant. Chloe could sense the other girl struggling to exhale a sharp chuckle. Max lifted her own pen and began writing for a split second, before returning the note to Chloe.

 **:'(**

Chloe could only nudge Max for her devious use of the hated emoticons, which was caught by Ms. Grant.

"Is something wrong back there?" She glared at the two girls and Chloe felt Max tense up.

 _Time to swoop in for the save, Super Chlo._

"Oh, I just missed one of the notes so I was asking Max for it. It's nothing." Chloe sent Ms. Grant a reassuring smile and the teacher resumed her lesson, still oblivious to the stealthy message exchange between the two girls.

The two covered their mouths to hold back laughter that emerged from Chloe's blatant lie.

Over the course of the next hour, Max and Chloe continued to send each other cute messages, spanning across six different slips of paper. They had established a small pile on Max's desk, hid behind her messenger bag that sat at the upper right corner.

They ended up playing various games as well, such as Tic-Tac-Toe and Hangman.

It had been a dreary lesson turned into a silent amusement park for Max and Chloe, and although the two hadn't taken any of the rather important notes needed for the upcoming quiz, it didn't matter to either of them. They were officially the Masters of Procrastination.

* * *

The bell finally rung; bringing a groan of relief from Max and Chloe in unison. Ms. Grant bid farewell as she exited the classroom, followed by many rushing students.

Chloe watched as Max stuffed her books into her backpack.

 _Chloe, you need to stop staring at her, you're being hella creepy right now._

Max noticed her friend's gaze and shot her a confused look.

 _But she's so pretty…_

"What?" Max's voice caught the staring girl by surprise, but she still held her gaze.

 _Oh shit, she noticed._

"Chloe? You okay?" Max had a look of concern across her face; utterly bewildered.

 _Stop staring._

Chloe continued to stare.

 _Chloe, stop staring at her._

She kept staring.

 _CHLOE WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING YOU'RE CREEPING HER OUT._

At this point, Max was flailing her hands in front of her friend's face, trying to get her attention.

"Chloe, what's going on? You're freaking me out."

Chloe finally snapped out of her daze and shook her head furiously.

"Oh, um, sorry." Chloe rubbed the back of her neck. This had been rather embarrassing.

"What the hell happened? You just zoned out for a second." Max put her hands on Chloe's arms to comfort her; still bearing a face of worry.

"Oh yeah, I was just daydreaming, is all."

"Okay…You sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, Maxi-Pad. I'm all good." Max rolled her eyes at Chloe's new nickname for her.

"Maxi-Pad? Really?" Chloe could only chuckle at her own genius. Max only shot her a disappointed smile.

"I'm so lucky your name is easy to manipulate." Chloe smirked as she already began thinking of clever nicknames to annoy Max and amuse herself with. Max could only groan at her future of cheesy puns created using her own name, but on the inside she was looking forward to it.

The two exited the science room, waving each other goodbye to depart to their next class. As Chloe sauntered through the packed hallways, she could only think about Max. The image of the brunette plastered a smile across her face.

Her moment of distraction almost made her oblivious to the voice of another girl calling her name.

"Chloe!" Once again, Chloe was brought out of her own little world. She turned her head to see a lively Kate darting towards her, dodging the Blackwell crowd.

Chloe smiled to see the joyous girl and her thoughts of Max were temporarily drowned out.

 _It's like someone threw a giant ball of huggable cuteness at me. I'll gladly take the hit._

She threw her arms out and Kate immediately took the cue and wrapped herself in Chloe's arms. The blonde detached from the punk's grasp and they both smiled at each other.

"What's up, Katie?" Chloe asked as the two began to hike down the halls.

"Nothin' much. Just glad to see you." Kate smiled. The two walked in silence for a brief moment before Kate bravely broke the pause. "So how was science with Max?"

"Well, Ms. Grant was boring as usual. Max and I played Hangman for the whole class, though." Kate giggled at Chloe's brief tale.

"That sounds fun."

"Not for me. Max kept choosing hella obscure indie artists that I didn't know." Chloe pouted at the memory of Max selecting 'Syd Matters' as her word for one of the rounds. It was an easy victory for the brunette and a painful loss for the punk.

Kate giggled again as she involuntarily started to hum 'Obstacles'.

The two girls eventually reached their separate classrooms and departed, waving each other goodbye.

Chloe's smile turned to a frown as her eyes turned to the classroom door that read 'English'. She braced herself for another long, painfully dull hour of lectures, this time without Max.

* * *

Refreshing air filled Chloe's lungs as she emerged from the front doors of Blackwell Academy.

 _FREEDOM!_

She scanned the main campus and saw no one of interest besides Justin, who skated along with his fellow bros and dudes.

"Boo." I soft but sudden voice made Chloe jump, and she turned to see a laughing Rachel Amber.

 _Was that karma? That was probably karma._

Rachel's eyes met Chloe's unamused expression and crossed arms. Her laugh shifted to a nervous chuckle.

"I am _so_ going to get you back for that." Chloe teased.

"I shall be looking forward to that." Rachel winked and began skipping down the steps with Chloe following behind. "How was class?"

"It was fine, _mother_ " Chloe joked as her voice deepened to mock a stereotypical teenage jock. Rachel giggled as she sat down on the fountain, patting the space next to her to gesture Chloe to sit.

The punk sat next to her friend who dove into her pocket to retrieve a rolled up joint and Zippo lighter. Chloe gladly took the blunt and stuck it between her lips, leaning over to let Rachel light it for her.

Chloe took a long drag and exhaled the fumes before handing the joint back to Rachel who did the same. The two sat in silence for a moment, soaking in the afternoon sun.

"Oh, by the way. Who was that cute brunette you were with this morning?" Rachel was obviously referring to Max, and the thought of the petite girl almost made Chloe blush.

"She's this new girl here. We just started hanging out."

"Does this new girl have a name?"

"Max Caulfield."

"I see." Rachel sucked in another drag of the joint, staring at the sun in contemplation. "You goin' for her?"

"What?"

"Are you looking to 'extend beyond the friendship'?" Rachel made air quotes and Chloe blushed for real this time.

"What? No. She's…she's just a friend." Chloe rubbed the back of her neck and turned her head away from her friend to hide her reddened face.

"Oh my god." Rachel erupted in laughter.

"What?"

"You are so hella crushing on this girl." Rachel gave Chloe a sharp nudge, teasing the bluenette.

"No I am not!" Chloe's pitch grew higher in disagreement.

"Okay, if you weren't, you wouldn't get so upset over it. You are head over heels for this chick."

"Rachel…"

"Admit it, girl!" Rachel wrapped her arm around her friend tightly and shook her frantically.

"I. Am. Not." Chloe's voice returned to normal as she developed a stern tone.

"Denial. Just another step in the process of _looooove_ " Rachel hyperbolically elongated the final word.

"Rachel, I am not crushing on Max."

"Chloe, I won't judge you. I mean, I'd totally crush on her too if I swung that way, she's hella cute." Rachel rested her hand on Chloe's shoulder and the punk slumped down and groaned.

"Fiiiiine. I…I like Max." Chloe's voice was soft, almost embarrassed to say it. Rachel began dancing as she shrieked with glee.

"Yes! Okay, what's she like?"

"Wha? She's…cool, I guess."

"Girl, you just did _not_ say that. Gimme the deets!" Chloe began digging through her brain to conceive the perfect words to describe Max. It was surprisingly difficult. No English words could even come close to matching Max. Instead of trying to spend hours on thinking of the perfect adjectives, she opted for the simple description.

"She's…she's one of those hipster art types. Into photography."

"Ooh, me likey so far. Keep going."

"Umm, she's pretty shy."

"Shy hippies. More." Chloe was starting to get uncomfortable at Rachel's constant demands.

"Rachel, this is getting a little uncomfortable." Chloe spoke her thoughts and Rachel pouted.

"Fine. It's just that I haven't seen you with someone in a long ass time." Rachel sparked worry for Chloe, and her friend simply chuckled.

"I appreciate the concern for my love life, but I think I'm good, Cupid."

"There's still something that's rather important though."

"What's that?"

"Does Max like you?" The question struck a reminder in Chloe's mind. Did Max like her? Did she even have interest in women? These were questions Chloe preferred to ignore, but they had always nagged her in the back of her head whenever she thought of Max.

"I don't know. I don't even know if she swings that way." Rachel was hit by a moment of realization.

"Shit. Has she given off any hints?" Rachel still hung on by a string of hope. She was straight herself, but when it came to Chloe's romantic relationships, she was determined to set her up with someone who was 110% perfect for her.

"Not at all. I don't know what it is, but I'm pretty sure she's straight. She just seems the type." Chloe and Rachel shared a disappointed frown, Rachel's somehow being greater. There was a short moment of silence between the two as neither knew what to say.

Rachel wanted more than anything in the world to see her best friend partnered with the perfect person, while Chloe had trouble wrapping her head around the fact that she may have to get over Max, despite the brunette being irresistibly adorable.

"Okay, maybe if I hung out with her for a bit I could maybe find out." Rachel planned and it caught her friend's attention; a tiny spark of hope sizzling in her heart.

"I guess you can hang with us at Two Whales for the weekend." Chloe suggested, but it only prompted a contemplative 'hmm' from Rachel.

"No, I need more than that. Possibly something at her dorm so we can get more deets on her." Chloe nodded in agreement as she took the final drag of the joint.

* * *

 **Chloe: yo yo yo maximus prime**

 **Max: Whassup Chlo?**

 **Chloe: its the weekend**

 **Chloe: we gots to do smth hella fun**

 **Max: Yes :D**

 **Chloe: if you use another emoji**

 **Chloe: i will go 2 ur dorm and choke u**

 **Max: ;)**

 **Chloe: your funeral, caulfield**

Chloe chucked her phone onto her bed and opened her closet, retrieving her typical pyjama clothes she wore when it was a Friday after school and she was certain that she wouldn't be expecting visitors.

She kept her ears peeled for the chirp of the device as she slung on her t-shirt. She pulled on her shorts and leaped onto the bed, snatching the phone once she landed.

 **Max: Anyways, what does Cap'n Chloe have planned?**

 _Okay, Price. This is the perfect moment to try and do something in her dorm. I just realized how fucking creepy that sounds._

Chloe held a moment in thought before rapidly tapping her fingers on the touch screen.

 **Chloe: you know, ive never been in ur dorm b4**

 **Chloe: i wanna see what kind of crib ya got**

 **Max: Well…**

 **Max: It's not much at all.**

 **Max: I barely have anything in it besides my bed and my desk.**

 **Chloe: its fine**

 **Chloe: maybe we can just chill and watch a movie**

 **Chloe: btw, is it ok if I brought a friend?**

 **Max: Sure, who?**

 **Chloe: my bestie rachel**

 **Max: Ok cool.**

 **Max: Kate told me you hung out with her a lot.**

 **Chloe: really? when?**

 **Max: Before you showed up at 2W.**

 **Max: She sounds cool.**

 **Chloe: hell yeah she is**

 **Chloe: so tonight? 7:30?**

 **Max: Sounds awesome :)**

 **Chloe: looks like ill be showing up early to KICK YOUR ASS FOR DEM EMOJIS**

Beaming with pride for her arrangement, Chloe switched over and alerted Rachel of her new plans before turning off her phone and hopping to her desk. She flipped open her laptop and the device flicked into life, displaying Max's Facebook page.

 _Shit, I forgot to close that._

Chloe slapped her palm to her forehead, cringing at the memory of her stalking Max's social media pages.

 _This girl is turning you into a dirty pile of desperation. Maybe that's a good thing…_

Chloe sunk her head onto the desk, smacking her palm against her temple.

"Stupid, stupid. You're so pathetic." She insulted herself before raising her head to close the rather embarrassing tab.

She opened a text document displaying her in progress English essay that was due the next day.

 _Might as well finish this to kill the time._

Chloe cracked her knuckles and began typing away at her keyboard, but the words she wrote felt forced; uninspired. Every letter she typed just kept returning to a thought of Max and it frustrated her, but it was a calm annoyance.

 _Don't think about Max. Just focus on English._

She shook her head to erase the images of the brunette parading around in her head. Chloe inhaled a deep breath and concentrated on the essay.

She stared at the document as she began searching her brain for the ideal words to complete her assignment. Her attempts were futile as her mind refused to reject the thoughts of Max.

 _No. Dammit, Chloe._

Chloe externalized her thoughts and groaned loudly. She buried her head into her hands until she heard three knocks on her door.

"Chloe? You alright in there? You sound upset." Her mother's voice had a touch of concern to it.

"Yeah. It's just…girl troubles." Chloe kept her problems as vague as possible. Joyce had always assumed that her daughter was straight, and Chloe found it inappropriate to reveal to her mother that she had hopelessly fallen for another girl.

"Well, we're both girls. You wanna talk about it?" Joyce expressed her worry and her intentions to try and help her daughter, but Chloe felt as if she needed to keep her feelings internal. No one but Rachel could know, especially Max.

"I'd rather not. I'll be okay. Thanks though." Chloe could tell her refusal to her mother's help stung her, but she planned to make up for it later on down the line.

"Okay dear. Just call me if you need anything."

"Thanks mom." Chloe heard footsteps echoing outside as Joyce descended down the steps. She sunk her head back down with thoughts of Max still fresh in her mind.

* * *

 _ **Bzz bzz.**_

The sound of a vibrating phone woke Chloe with a startle. She inhaled a sharp breath and darted her eyes across her surroundings, familiarizing herself with the messy desk before her.

 _Shit, I fell asleep. What time is it?_

The phone read 7:42 PM.

 _OH FUCK._

Chloe panicked and leapt to her feet, bolting to her closet and frantically picking out the first articles of clothing she saw.

She threw on a black t-shirt with a bold anarchy 'A' symbol painted on it and topped it off with her signature blazer jacket. She finished off the outfit with her typical set of ripped jeans. Still punk with more than enough attitude.

She snatched her phone and rushed to her door, before making a 180 to retrieve her beanie. She carelessly slung the beanie onto her dyed hair and shoved the door open, practically flying down the stairs.

Chloe threw open her truck's driver-side door and flung herself onto the seat, driving the key into the ignition in a single, fluid motion.

The car sputtered and refused to start, and Chloe couldn't believe the horrendous timing.

 _Are you fucking kidding me with this?! Not now!_

She repeatedly switched the ignition on and off, begging for the tattered truck to spark into life. After what felt like eternity, the vehicle roared alive and Chloe was on her way.

 _Score! To Max's house we go._

She floored the gas pedal and drove off, leaving a cloud of exhaust fumes behind.

As the truck cruised down the deserted neighbourhood streets, Chloe switched on her phone to see who she had received a text from.

 **Rachel: chlo?**

 **Rachel: where u at?**

 **Chloe: slept in like an idiot**

 **Chloe: omw now**

 **Rachel: cool, max and i r just chillin**

Chloe growled in frustration, despising herself for letting drowsiness get the best of her.

 _I can ram my head into a dry wall later, focus on getting to Blackwell._

Chloe soon arrived in front of the Blackwell campus by 8:00, slamming the brakes when she reached the steps.

She raced up the stairs and made a rush to the girls' dormitories, still loathing herself.

Chloe halted before Max's door and exhaled a calm breath.

 _It's alright, Price. Just say you slept in and they'll be okay with it. Just go with the flow._

She raised her fist to knock on the door when she heard laughter from beyond. She shook her head and tapped on the door.

Rachel greeted Chloe and the punk stepped inside and saw Max sitting cross-legged on the carpet in the center of the room next to a family sized bag of potato chips. There was a Scrabble board in front of her.

"Hey, Chloe." Max smiled and waved at the bluenette and Chloe returned the gesture.

"Sorry I'm late guys. I fell asleep while working on my English essay and woke up hella late. My bad." Chloe rubbed the back of her head in an apologetic fashion as Rachel sat back down next to Max.

"It's fine. You're here now. Now sit." Rachel patted the spot next to her and Chloe obeyed, resting onto the rough carpet. She scanned the game board that was littered with various letter tiles forming words such as; open, hare, judge, and bibble. Her eyebrow raised at the last word.

"What the fuck is a bibble?" She pointed at the arranged tiles. Max could only release a giggle as Rachel groaned.

"Don't even get me started." Rachel rolled her eyes as Max beamed proudly.

"To drink often, or to drink or eat noisily." Max grinned smugly and Rachel only scowled.

"Is that even in the Scrabble dictionary?" Chloe asked.

"I don't know, I lost that thing years ago." Max scratched her head.

"Did you just guess bibble?" Chloe chuckled as Max nervously laughed.

"I just remember hearing it somewhere. I don't know how it came up in my head though."

"This girl's brain works in mysterious ways." Rachel remarked. "Now go, it's your turn."

Chloe noticed that Max lead the game by a fair margin of 45 points. It seemed to be in the late stages of the game so she knew that Rachel likely didn't stand a chance.

Chloe observed as Max carefully scanned her tiles to try and form elaborate words to outclass her opponent, but she could only be captivated by the other girl's beauty.

 _How can someone be_ this _pretty? Oh God, you're doing it again, Chloe._

The punk eye's caught Rachel, who was impishly smirking. She had obviously noticed her friend staring at Max and could easily tell she was obsessed with her. Chloe rolled her eyes as her grinning friend blindly snatched a chip from the oversized bag and threw it in her mouth. Rachel giggled as she crunched on the snack.

Max had noticed and raised her head from her tiles and looked at the two, wondering what Rachel was laughing about.

"Uhh, what's so funny?" Max asked with a confused expression on her face.

"Oh, it's just that Chloe-" Chloe leaned over and cupped her hand over Rachel's mouth, silencing her voice before she could say something embarrassing.

 _Rachel! What the fuck!_

Max only watched in bewilderment and felt genuinely anxious.

"Uhh, okay?" Max could only stutter a neutral response.

"It's umm…nothing." Chloe nervously replied, her hand still covering Rachel's mouth.

She felt a moist contact on her palm and immediately retracted her hand and looked at it to see a small wet spot on the center of her palm where Rachel's tongue had just been.

"Rachel! Did you just lick my hand?!" Chloe exclaimed as she frantically rubbed her palm over Rachel's shirt. Rachel howled in laughter as she tried to dodge Chloe's hand to no avail.

"Maybe." She responded. Chloe scowled.

"Guys, this is getting a bit awkward for me right now." Max spoke through a nervous chuckle.

"Sorry, Max." Rachel apologized as her laughter died down. Chloe's cheeks flushed red in embarrassment.

"So, what about Chloe?" Max asked, still wondering what the end to Rachel's sentence was.

"It's nothing." Chloe hushed with a finger just as Rachel was about to speak. "Just go play your turn."

Max pouted but obliged. She lowered her head to stare back at the letter tiles and after two minutes of thinking and being taunted and pressured by Rachel, she finally placed the word 'pot'.

Max looked up with pride while Rachel had an unamused expression on her face, as did Chloe.

"Really, Max? It took you _that_ long to get 'pot'?" Rachel teased.

"Well, I was _trying_ to think of a better word than it." Max argued, but Rachel was still disappointed.

 _Now I really want some pot. I could hella use some right now._

"Speaking of pot, anyone got any?" Although she was asking both girls, her eyes were focused on Rachel, since she knew she likely had some on her.

"Shit. I totally forgot some at my dorm. Didn't think we'd need it." Rachel admitted and Chloe's jaw dropped.

"Really? You carry pot with you at _funerals_ , Rach." Chloe sharply chuckled.

"Hey, it was a banquet!" Rachel jokingly disputed.

"Wait, you brought weed to a _banquet_?!" Chloe's jaw dropped even further as she had made her funeral remark as a joke.

"Wait, I thought you were talking about that." Chloe howled with laughter while Rachel blushed. Max could only join in on the hysterics.

"It's fine, I can run back to my room and get some. You two stay put." Rachel's offer immediately made Chloe cease her laughing.

 _Fuck. She can't leave me alone with Max, that'd be hella awkward._

"Wait, just stay." Chloe pleaded.

"No, I can go. I'll be back in a flash. You and Max can… _chill_." There was a suspicious emphasis on 'chill' in Rachel's tone.

 _Dammit, I knew this was one of her schemes to try and get me alone with Max. I'll give it to her, she's clever._

Before Chloe could spit out another word, Rachel bolted out the door, likely mischievously grinning as she ran out. She had said that she would return as soon as possible, but Chloe knew that her friend would take her sweet time.

 _Okay, Chlo, just relax. You've been with her before at Two Whales, there's no reason for this to turn awkward. But then again, that was with Kate. FUCK._

Chloe awkwardly turned to see Max snapping open her laptop and the light of the screen illuminating her face under the darkness. The Blackwell dormitories were ominously dark even during the early evening hours. It didn't help that Max had her curtains completely closed.

"Whatchya lookin' at?" Chloe crawled over to observe what the other girl was looking at on the laptop. The screen displayed the file explorer page for a USB drive. The drive was strangely titled "Pirate Booty" and it was filled to the brim with various media files with the titles of various films; new and old.

"Huh? Oh, Kate said she knew a guy at school who had a USB with a boatload of pirated movies, so he hooked me up." Max explained.

"Oh. Who was the guy?" Chloe asked the question as if it were some involuntary instinct.

 _Great job, Chlo. Make it more obvious that you're desperate for her by blatantly asking her who the guy was. Idiot. Or maybe I'm over-thinking this. Hmm…Nope, definitely an idiot._

"I think his name was Warren or something."

 _Wait, Warren Graham?_

"Warren Graham?" Chloe made her thought known.

"I think that was his name. You know him?"

"Uhh, yeah. Really nerdy."

"Yeah, I heard he was some science junkie."

"Hm. You dig him?" Chloe almost shot her hands up to cover her mouth. Her words seemed to be completely out of her control.

 _What the fuck was that?!_

"Dig him? What do you mean?"

 _Oh thank_ god _, she doesn't understand what I mean._

"You mean like, have feelings for him?"

 _YES SHE DOES._

"Sure." Chloe shot out a reply to confirm Max's suspicions, attempting to remain casual while her brain spiraled out of control.

 _Welp, might as well finish what I started._

"No. I guess he's cute and all, but…" Max rubbed the back of her head, struggling to conceive the right words.

 _Please say you're gay, PLEASE say you're gay._

"I don't really know." The vague reply had Chloe's mind on edge.

 _Dammit. Maybe at least bi?_

"I think…I think I have feelings for someone else right now." Max's words stung Chloe like a wasp.

 _Oh god. She's talking about another guy, isn't she?_

"Ooh la la, who's the lucky guy?" Chloe tried her hardest to maintain her façade.

"Well…that's the thing." Max rubbed her neck again before tossing a potato chip into her mouth to ease the tension. "It's not a guy…"

Chloe could feel her eyes involuntarily widen and her heart race. She felt a surge of ecstasy flowing through her veins as her mind began dancing with glee. She could almost taste the rainbows.

"So it's another chick?" Chloe was beaming with hope, waiting for that simple three-letter word of agreement or approval.

 _Say yes. SAY YES._

"Yeah…"

 _SCORE!_

Holding back the fist pump was almost impossible for the punk, but instead she nodded.

"That's totally alright. If it makes you feel any better, I'm gay too." Chloe gave Max a reassuring smile. Max rose up from her seat and began pacing around the room anxiously.

"I think that's the problem. Sometimes I like guys, and sometimes I like girls. It's just…so confusing." There was a hint of panic in the brunette's voice, so Chloe stood up and gently grabbed her shoulders to comfort her. She met Max's gaze and almost began aimlessly staring at her like she had done during science that day.

"Max, it's okay. This shouldn't be scary."

"It's not scary, it's just-"

"Confusing, I know." Chloe finished Max's sentence. "That's normal. You'll get through it, I know I did."

"I guess." Max sounded very unsure of herself.

Internally, there was a gay party erupting in Chloe's head. She had a chance.

"Here, lemme help you take your mind off this." Chloe leaped to the Hi Fi that she had noticed upon entering the room. She plugged in her phone and scrolled through her playlist before selecting the perfect song to ease the situation.

The room was filled with the sound of the familiar guitars and drums of 'Piano Fire', and Chloe began to hop around the room.

"That's more like it. Come on, you know the song!" Chloe began to pick up her energy and her movements became more vigorous.

Max laughed as the punk danced around her, laughing and smiling along with the chords of the song.

Chloe leaped onto Max's bed and began shaking her body as Max observed with delight.

 _Mission success, Mad Max is feelin' better. Mission two; mosh pit time._

"Don't just stare at me like I'm a doggie bone, dance!" Max seemed hesitant to cooperate but just couldn't resist the urge to let loose. Chloe reached down at the brunette and Max grabbed her and was pulled up onto the bed next to her.

The two hopped around with their hands locked together, filling the room with laughter.

Just as the final chords were being strum over the Hi Fi, The door was swung open and Rachel entered.

"Sorry it took so long, couldn't find the-" Rachel abruptly broke her sentence when she saw the two with their hands together while the music died down. Her stunned expression immediately turned to a devilish grin when she saw Chloe blush.

Chloe was trapped in an awkward gaze with Rachel before Max broke it to her relief.

"Oh, Rachel, you're back." Max's hands parted from Chloe's and she hopped off the bed to greet the returning girl.

"Yep, and I got pot!" Rachel held up a small Ziploc bag of marijuana to Max's eyes and the brunette immediately retracted. "What?"

"You actually brought it?!" Max's jaw dropped.

"Of course! You didn't think I wasn't being serious, were you?" Rachel dove into her back pocket and pulled out a pack of rolling paper and shut the door behind her with her foot.

"Yeah! Rachel, you can't smoke weed in the dorms!"

"What's the big deal? I do it all the time." Rachel argued as she sat back down next to the game board. Max was left speechless.

Chloe jumped down to join Rachel who was now rolling up a joint, licking the edge to seal the blunt.

"It'll be fine, Maxie. We can leave the window open and no one will ever know." Rachel handed the finished joint to Chloe who gladly accepted.

She stood up and pulled back the curtains, sending in a sudden wave of late-evening light. The room was painted a refreshing sunset orange and Rachel lifted the window open, letting in a cool autumn breeze chill the space.

"Perfect." She nodded to herself in approval before grabbing the joint she had rolled for herself. "Chlo, light." She gestured to her friend for her lighter and Chloe immediately took the cue and brought out her silver Zippo.

Rachel leaned over and held the joint between her lips and Chloe graciously lit the blunt while Max watched in fear. Chloe noticed the anxiety in the girl's eyes.

"Chillax, Max. In fact, you should try." Max recoiled at the offer.

"No...no way!" She furiously shook her head in disagreement.

 _God, she's so adorable._

Rachel puffed out the smoke from the drugs out the open window and Max stared as the fumes drifted into the evening sky.

"Fine, we can start with a shotgun." Chloe offered.

"What's that?"

"I smoke the joint, but exhale it into your mouth." Chloe could tell Max was nervous, but she was determined to have the girl try weed at least once.

"I don't know…" Max twiddled her thumbs.

"You just have to try _once_. If you don't like it, I'll never make you do it again." Chloe could tell she was persuading Max. She was surprised at how easy it was.

"I umm…I don't know, Chloe…" Chloe took Max's hand before she could reject. She locked her eyes with the unsure girl and the stare was reassuring for Max.

"Just try it. _Please_?" Chloe gave Max her best puppy dog eyes. The brunette just couldn't deny them. There was a short pause as Max weighed the consequences.

"Fine." Chloe's blue eyes shone with delight and she formed a wide grin across her face. "But if I don't like it, you owe me a free meal at the Two Whales."

"Deal!" Max could have said anything and Chloe would have still agreed, no questions asked. She was beaming with excitement.

 _Boo yah! This is gonna be awesomesauce._

Chloe lit her joint and Max anxiously watched the punk inhale a deep drag. Max wondered how Chloe would 'shotgun' her as she had only heard that term for the first time.

Chloe was internally bracing herself for the oncoming almost-kiss that she would have to perform.

 _Just don't make it awkward. You've done this before to other girls and it was fine. Except those other girls weren't so hella cute._

Chloe maintained a steady hand as she grabbed Max's face by her cheeks and brought it close to her, catching the inexperienced girl by surprise.

She brought her lips to the other girl's and exhaled her breath into her mouth.

The bluenette felt an odd sensation, one that wasn't from the weed. This one was different, something originating in her stomach. It felt great.

When Chloe drew back she saw Max's blushed face, inhaling deeply as she struggled to familiarize herself to the odd sensation. The brunette leaned backwards and rapidly blinked as a million different feelings rushed through her body.

Chloe watched in amusement as she waited for Max's reaction.

The room grew dead quiet as both Chloe and Rachel watched Max's dazed expression. After what seemed like eternity, Max finally spilled sounds from her lips.

"Whoa." The other two could only erupt with laughter.

* * *

"Have you realized that bagels…are just naked donuts?" Max's mellow tone could only spark uncontrollable laughter from Chloe and Rachel. Max swayed her head about to the rhythm of the rather fitting song 'Why'd you Only Call me when you're High?' by 'Arctic Monkeys'. "Guys…"

"Yeah, Max?" Chloe replied as she wiped tears of laughter from her eyes with a tissue.

"I'm hungry." Max's eyes were close to shut, and she seemed drowsy, yet wide awake.

Rachel handed her the near empty bag of potato chips, still giggling. Max's hand missed the bag that was held right in front of her and she waved her fingers around it until she finally grabbed it.

She dove into the bag and pulled out a large handful of chips, some of the smaller pieces falling out of her hand onto the carpet that was littered with tissues, rolling paper, and Scrabble tiles.

Max shoved the food into her mouth, stuffing it to the point of explosion. Impressively, she chewed and gulped down the chips, having no trouble swallowing the large amount of snack. She giggled with lips that were coated in crumbs.

"I told you we shouldn't have let her try the whole thing." Chloe turned to Rachel, both girls still snickering.

"Are you kidding? This is fucking gold!" Rachel gestured to Max who was swaying her hips to the sound of the music melodiously.

Right after experiencing the shotgun from Chloe, Max couldn't resist trying the real deal. She had eagerly asked the bluenette for the full blunt and bravely took a long drag of the joint. It had been far from her last.

The following half hour consisted of Chloe and Max sharing the joint, and her initial puffs resulted in coughing and wheezing. Eventually, she became familiar with the feeling and the two eventually finished the whole blunt.

However, Max's inexperienced head and body reacted rather hilariously, and Chloe and Rachel could only observe Max like a circus show.

Chloe pulled another tissue and leaned over to wipe away the leftover crumbs from Max's face. She was taken by surprise when the brunette swiftly grabbed her hand before it retracted, and Max stared deeply into Chloe's eyes.

"You…" Max used her free hand to point to Chloe's nose, the finger only centimetres away from its tip. "You're cute." Max blushed and giggled as she lightly tapped Chloe's nose with her finger.

 _Holy shit, she's higher than Apollo 13._

"Okaaayy, Maximum High. You're seriously baked." Chloe tried to free her arm from Max's grasp, but the girl's grip was surprisingly strong. There was a momentary silence as Max held Chloe in a hypnotising gaze.

"You know…that shotgun…It was pretty awesome…" Max spoke softly, almost like a whisper.

"Uhh…thanks?" Chloe felt rather awkward, but also borderline seduced.

"Especially when you kissed me like that…" Chloe's eyes widened and she blushed. "Do you uhh…mind showing me again?" Chloe's head began to race and her heart beat like an engine.

"Wha…?" It was all the dazed punk could stutter from her mouth. Max's head leaned in forward and Chloe could only watch as the brunette puckered her lips and brought it to hers.

The moment was almost surreal. Chloe's lips grew warm as they made soft contact with Max's and her tongue was hit by the taste of marijuana and potato chips.

Rachel could only shriek with glee as she watched the two embrace in a weed-induced kiss.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey guys! Sorry it's been a while since I've updated. There's been a lot going on, particularly exams paired with some personal stuff I've been going through. I don't think I'll be getting back to regular updates for a little longer since exams are still a thing :(. However, once those are over, I'll have two months of summer break to do some writing which I totally look forward to.**

 **Also, I am so hyped for the recently announced prequel to Life is Strange. I am pretty upset that Ashly Burch won't be reprising her role, but I guess strikes are strikes. I still have high hopes for the game and can't wait to play it.**

 **It'll be interesting to see what the canon Rachel Amber is like apart from what I've seen in the gameplay footage. I started work on this chapter a while before Before the Storm was announced so I already had my vision for Rachel prepared.**

 **Let me know what you thought about this chapter, still have plenty of ideas to play around with.**

 **Also, I haven't forgotten about Lost Without You, I'll be updating that hopefully soon.**

 **Sorry for the long A/N, stay awesome!**


	3. The Morning After

**Chapter 3: The Morning After**

 _Ow…my fucking head…_

Max held her palm to her temple in pain. She sat up from her bed, shaking the headache away. Her eyes explored her room, searching for any potential clues as to the events of last night.

 _What happened? Why does my head hurt? Why is there potato chip stuck between my teeth?_

Suddenly, pieces of the previous night began flowing into her brain, and she began to recall certain things.

 _Okay, I remember Chloe and Rachel came over. I played Scrabble with Rachel, I talked to Chloe about who I liked, then Rachel brought some weed-_

It was as if a truck of realization struck her head at highway speeds.

 _OH FUCK._

Max remembered her first inhale of a joint. She remembered the rush of sheer tranquility that took over her body and how from that point, she was just the spectator of a horror show.

For the life of her, she couldn't remember anything else. The rest of the night was more than a blur, it was simply a blank page.

 _Max, just calm down. I'm sure you didn't do anything_ too _stupid._

Max decided that the best way to take her mind off her regrets was a cup of coffee at the Two Whales Diner. She figured caffeine would be the perfect way to free her racing and sore head from what she had or hadn't done.

Max dressed herself in her typical hoodie and t-shirt and left Blackwell for the bus stop. Luckily, she didn't encounter anyone she knew as she preferred to have the trip to the diner to herself.

The bus ride was rather uneventful to Max's relief, and she simply drowned the world out with the acoustic tunes and calming voice of 'Jose Gonzalez'.

She arrived at the diner and hopped off, sauntering her way into the establishment. She scanned the area and to her relief, she spotted no one she recognized.

 _Phew, no friendly faces. I can have my breakdown in peace._

Breathing a sigh of relief, Max sat down at one of the unoccupied booths and a waitress immediately approached her.

The woman was of middle-age, blonde hair in a bun and a wide smile on her face.

"What can I get you darling?" She spoke in a light Southern accent, barely noticeable, but Max picked up on it swiftly.

"I'll just have a black coffee, please." Max sent an innocent smile and the waitress nodded. Before leaving however, she stared at Max for a brief moment.

"You seem familiar, do I know you from somewhere?" She asked, but Max was simply confused.

"I don't think so." Max replied, confident that the two have never met, unless they did last night but Max had simply forgotten.

"Oh, right, you came in here with my daughter Chloe the other day." The woman raised a finger up in realization.

 _Oh shit, that's Chloe's mom._

"You're Chloe's mother?" Max let her thoughts be known.

"I am. Are you and Chloe getting along nicely? I know that she can be a bit much in terms of a first impression."

"No, she's great."

 _That came out wrong._

"I mean…as in great, I don't mean as a girlfriend or anything, I mean…as a friend." Max blushed and hid her face while the waitress raised an eyebrow and smiled. When she raised her head to hopefully fix the mess she had made, the waitress was gone.

 _Nice going, dork._

A minute later, she returned and set down a mug of black coffee on Max's table, an awkward silence filling the air between the two. Joyce returned to her position at the counter and Max sunk her head into her hands, groaning in cringe.

Just as Max was beginning to enjoy the solitude, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked up to be greeted by the grinning face of Rachel, who stared down at her while she moped.

 _Oh come on, I can't catch a break. Oh well, at least it's Rachel. Maybe she can shed some light on what happened last night._

"Heeeyyy, Maaax." Rachel was awfully joyous, and Max couldn't figure out why.

"Hey, Rach." Max's tone was a depressed mutter. Rachel sat across from the brunette, wondering why she was feeling down.

"What's gotchya down, girl?" Rachel leaned forward while Max gingerly sipped her coffee.

 _What's got me down? Well, the girl I am hopelessly drooling over probably doesn't share the same feelings as I do, I just embarrassed myself in front of her mother, I can't remember whatever stupid shit I did last night, and I realized how I hate black coffee. So yeah, not much, really._

"It's nothing." Max sunk her head down to let her eyes stare into the murky abyss of her coffee.

"Aww, come on. Something's on your mind."

"There isn't."

"I mean, how can you be this down after what happened last night?" Rachel's comment reminded Max of why she was glad to see her in the first place.

"That reminds me, what _did_ happen last night?" Max was dying to know, it was all she could think about.

"Oh. My. God. You don't remember." Rachel leaned back, surprised to see that Max was oblivious to the events.

"Remember what?"

"How you—nevermind. Maybe you should ask Chloe." Rachel grinned impishly.

"What?! Rachel, come on." Max whined but Rachel shook her head.

"Nuh uh. Go talk to Chloe." Max could only groan at Rachel's refusal to answer her question.

 _This is ridiculous. Why doesn't she want to tell me? Did something happen between me and Chloe last night? Oh dog, it was something embarrassing, wasn't it?_

"Fine, but I'm comfy here so she'll have to come to me." Max pulled out her phone to text Chloe to come to the Two Whales. She hoped that Chloe's replies to her texts would possibly give off hints to what had happened. That is if she replied in the first place.

"Ooh, Maxie getting feisty." Rachel imitated a cat-like purring noise that only prompted an annoyed eye-roll from Max.

 **Max: Hey, Chlo. Wanna come to the 2W? Rach and I are here**

Four minutes passed without a word from Chloe and Max only feared the worst. Before she could begin profusely sweating and biting her nails in anxiety, she heard the chirp from her phone.

 **Chloe: sure**

 **Chloe: gimme some time to get ready**

 **Chloe: we should probs talk about last night**

 **Max: That's kinda why I wanted you to come :/**

 **Chloe: ok omw**

 _She didn't say "No emoji" like she normally does. Did I upset her? I hope to god that isn't the case. I'm probably just over-thinking this. Yeah, that's it._

She still had strong doubts that chewed at the back of her head. Every second that passed in silence only expanded her anxiety like a fire in forest.

Following what seemed like a week to Max, Chloe finally entered the diner in her typical vibrant fashion and immediately noticed Rachel wave at her.

 _Thank dog, she's here. Okay, calm down Max, just play it cool._

Chloe approached the booth and greeted Max.

"Hey, Mad Max." Max felt herself tense up just from Chloe's presence.

"Uh, hi…" Max awkwardly waved at the punk and watched as she sat next to Rachel.

 _She doesn't seem mad. That's good. Very good. Right?_

There was an awkward silence that split the small group. Max and Chloe both struggled to make eye contact while Rachel struggled to hold back fits of laughter.

"About last night…" Chloe finally spoke and Max nearly exhaled a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, I was hoping you could shed some light onto what happened." Max scratched the back of her head, anxious to discover what had really occurred.

Chloe could only respond with a puzzled expression, unaware that Max had no recollection of the previous night.

"Shed some light? I don't-" Before she could continue, Rachel nudged Chloe and put her index finger to her temple and shook her head, and Chloe immediately recognized the mute gesture as a symbol to Max's amnesia. "Shed some light, huh?"

"Yeah…Rachel won't tell me." Max scowled at the smirking girl across from her.

"I wonder why…" Chloe could only groan internally as this was more than expected behavior from Rachel. "Well, do you remember how you got high?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Not much after that."

"I see…" Chloe took off her beanie and ran her fingers through her cobalt hair. Rachel nudged her to quit stalling.

"Okay, okay. Max…we sorta kissed…"

 _WHAT._

Max gulped so hard she felt like she had swallowed her uvula. Then the events began crashing down on her like a hurricane. The shotgun, the swaying to 'Arctic Monkeys'…the kiss.

 _I remember it. OH GOD I REMEMBER IT._

Max's face flushed red and her expression held a mix of utter shock and sheer embarrassment.

 _Idiot, idiot, idiot, idiot!_

"I…Chloe…I'm _so_ sorry…I didn't-" Max began to uncontrollably stutter before Chloe raised her hand up to interrupt her.

"Whoa, Max, what are you apologizing for?" Chloe leaned in and smiled as she stared deeply into Max's shimmering blue eyes.

"What…?" The word came out of Max's lips as a mutter, almost gibberish.

"It was pretty awesome." Chloe admitted with a rather daring attitude that caught the nervous brunette by surprise.

"It was?" Max was profoundly surprised at Chloe's response, so much that she thought of the possibility that she was joking.

"Hell yeah. First time kissing a chick high." Max was left stunned by every word that Chloe spoke. However, she had so much more to tell. "Actually, Rachel and I have kissed four times." Chloe pointed to the beaming girl next to her and Max's jaw dropped even further.

"What?" It was all the astonished girl could blurt out from her tiny lips. Given the paranoid nature of her current state of mind, Max couldn't help but theorize that Chloe and Rachel could be more than just friends.

 _Does that mean that…Noooo, that'd be silly…or completely logical…_

Max tried to hide her disappointed face. Luckily, there was still an utterly speechless expression that masked it rather well.

"Well, the first time was when we were both sixteen and wanted to have a first kiss." Chloe started. "Her idea." She again pointed to Rachel, who immediately argued.

"Hey! You came crawling-" Chloe hushed Rachel before she could dispute any further.

"The second time was a dare, also her idea." Again, the punk pointed to her friend who raised a finger to disagree, but then nodded after realizing that it was true. "The third time we were playing 'Truth or Dare' at a party and Justin was really high and perverted, you can piece the rest of that puzzle no problem." Max could only nod. "The last time was when we got really drunk."

"Wait, drunk? Aren't you guys only eighteen? You're not old enough to drink." Max argued which only prompted a synchronised 'so?' from the other two girls. Max only responded with a shrug. She exhaled a deep sigh. "Wowser. Didn't…know any of that."

"Aww, are you disappointed that you weren't my first kiss or something?" Chloe teased, and Max ducked her head to hide her blushing face.

"Pfft, nooo…" Max muttered and Chloe's jaw dropped.

"No way, you _actually_ thought that?" The bluenette leaned in towards the shy Max, almost interrogating her, bad cop style.

"Maybe…" Another mutter, this time, more inaudible, but distinguishable enough for Chloe to understand, and understand enough to blurt out laughing.

"Stop! It's…it's not funny!" Max reached forward to feebly push the howling Chloe.

"My god, you're so hella adorable, Max." The embarrassed brunette could only cross her arms in frustration. There was a moment of awkward silence once Chloe had managed to calm herself.

"So…Max, you okay?" Chloe asked, a hint of worry appearing in her voice.

"Yeah, this is just…so stupid." Max complained and Chloe stood up and shifted seats so she could sit next to the upset girl to lay her hand on her shoulder in comfort.

"It's not, Max. I thought it was cute, sweet, and pretty fuckin' awesome. I'm being serious, if you asked me to do it again, I would." Chloe almost shoved her hand down her throat after she realized she had made a blatant flirting effort in front of Rachel of all people. Chloe glared at the grinning girl and mouthed the very recognizable words of 'shut up' to her to keep her from saying something regrettable.

Chloe rubbed Max's back to keep her reassured and ducked her head down to meet Max's, which was still sunk downwards in shame.

"Max, chill out about this. It was just the weed."

 _She's right. It was the weed, stop freaking out about this._

"I guess…" Max's voice was faint and soft. She began to view the incident as a learning experience where she had discovered two things: Never do weed again, and Chloe is a great kisser.

* * *

Max swung open the door to her room and quickly slammed it shut once she crawled her way into the space. She flung her poor messenger bag onto the floor and collapsed onto her messy bed, mildly bouncing on the mattress as she landed.

For the whole way home, all she could think about was what Chloe had told her. Had their kiss really been that amazing for her? Was she being serious about wanting to do it again, or was she just being friendly?

Max felt the sudden urge to ask Chloe for another kiss to find out, but immediately retracted the thought when she realized how stupid it sounded in her head. However, she still couldn't erase the words, it was just too difficult to ignore.

Max couldn't resist, she needed to know. In a split moment, she dove for her messenger bag and dug into it for her phone, frantically searching through the contents for the device. Following many grunts of frustration, she finally felt the sleek surface of the phone and retrieved it from the bag.

Her fingers began dancing across the screen, navigating through her text messenger to Chloe before she impulsively sent the girl a message.

 **Max: Hey, Chlo**

 **Max: I gotta ask you something**

It felt like eternity as Max waited for Chloe to respond, growing more impatient by the second. Finally, she heard the chirp and her eyes were once again glued to the screen.

 **Chloe: what up**

 **Max: Back at 2W…**

 **Max: When you said that if I asked you to kiss me again, you'd do it, were you serious?**

Max exhaled all the breath in her lungs once she had dared to ask the question. It wouldn't be long until she would receive the answer she so desperately needed from her friend, and she was willing to risk sheer humiliation.

Another long and irritating silence from Chloe made Max want to scream at the top of her lungs, waking up Blackwell, Arcadia Bay, and the entirety of Europe.

Max held her breath as the seconds ticked away without a reply, and she couldn't take the wait much longer, primarily since she was running out of air.

 **Chloe: hella yeah, dont think i was jokin it was a fun experience**

Those words flooded Max's head with a million different emotions, ranging from joy, shock, and embarrassment.

 _Holy shit. Now it's just finding out how I make this less awkward._

Without much thought, Max sent a single word that for some unexplainable reason popped up in her head, and she immediately cupped her mouth in regret.

 **Max: Neato**

 _Neato? NEATO? WHAT THE FUCK IS NEATO?_

Max began banging her head on the floor, cringing at what she had blurted out in text. She could visualize Chloe laughing at her now.

 _Maybe I can delete it before she sees._

Under the speech bubble that displayed Max's embarrassing message read the taunting words of 'Seen by Chloe at 9:43 PM'. Max groaned loudly and sunk her head in shame.

Luckily, Chloe's next message seemed to show that she ignored the message, and Max sighed in relief.

 **Chloe: y do u ask?**

 _Shit, how do I respond to that? I guess anything besides 'neato' would work adequately._

This time, Max thought carefully before typing a message.

 **Max: No reason**

 **Max: Just caught me off guard, is all :)**

 **Chloe: ok**

 **Max: No emoji, I know**

 **Chloe: beat me to it**

 **Chloe: you know me well, caulfield**

 **Max: Maybe too well…**

 **Chloe: well, after last night i'd have to agree…**

Max's face flushed red at Chloe's tease, and she knew the punk would never let her live that moment down. In some odd ways, she was somewhat glad for that.

The rest of the night continued as usual for Chloe and Max, exchanging numerous texts between each other to kill the dying hours. By the time the clock had ticked to 11:45 PM, the only light that illuminated Max's pitch black room was the dim light from her phone.

Max eventually decided to call it a night and digitally bid farewell to Chloe, who was equally as tired. She shut off her phone and tucked herself under the soft blankets and lay on her side as her mind refused to sleep.

So much was rushing through her feeble head at once, and Max had trouble coming up with answers to the infinite questions that paraded within her mind.

 _What does this mean for my relationship with Chloe then? I mean, it's obvious that we can't pretend this ever happened, Chloe's already thrown that option out the window. Maybe that's a good thing. I'm probably just over thinking this like I usually do, maybe this'll just be a funny little anecdote we can talk about years later._

Max took a moment to silence her mind, clearing her head of all thoughts to relieve it of the constant stress.

 _But I don't want it to be that…_

Max pouted and forcibly shut her eyes, hoping that sleep could drown away her sorrows.

A long time had passed and Max was still wide awake, her face reddened in fury as she shuffled around in her bed, struggling to fall asleep.

The dead silence of the room was only broken by the emphasized ticks from the clock that sat on Max's desk across the room, and Max groaned as she noticed that the time read 1:22 AM.

The sleepless girl jumped at the sound of an echoing buzz from the floor, and her eyes were immediately drawn to the illuminated screen of her phone that sparked into life with a text message notification.

Max dove off the side of the bed and grabbed the beckoning phone, swiftly navigating to the newly received message.

She was desperate for something to break the mundane silence of the night, and her eyes lit up as she saw that the message was from Chloe.

 **Chloe: hey max, u up?**

 **Max: Unfortunately, yes**

 **Chloe: ok, i kno this is gonna sound hella dumb and u dont gotta agree if u dont wanna**

 **Max: Shoot**

 **Chloe: is it aight if i sleepover?**

 **Chloe: you dont have 2 say yes, im just askin cuz I cant sleep**

Max's eyebrows raised at the request. It seemed bizarre that Chloe would ask her for this at such a late hour, and Max felt a hint of concern for her friend.

It didn't matter though. Max knew the answer even before Chloe asked.

* * *

Three knocks on the door sent a hint of excitement through Max as she leaped to the door and swung it open to be greeted by the vibrant blue hair of Chloe Price.

The punk's face was covered with guilt and a rather unexpected shyness, and Max gestured her inside.

Chloe rubbed the back of her head and kept her eyes glued to the floor as she awkwardly stepped into the confined space of Max's room.

"I'm really sorry about this." Chloe apologized as she stood before Max, struggling to keep eye contact with her.

"It's totally fine. I can't sleep too so we're on the same boat." Max sat down on the side of her bed and beckoned Chloe to do the same, which she did.

"There's just a lot going on in my head right now, and I think I need the company."

"Same here. Not gonna lie, I was thinking about asking you if _I_ could sleepover at your place." That was a lie, but Max felt it necessary to comfort her friend.

"To be honest, I fully expected you to say no."

"Why the hell would I? I need more Chloe Price in my life." Chloe shot Max a puzzled look.

"Really now?"

"You make my life less dreary." Max sent the other girl a heartfelt smile and Chloe did the same.

 _Whoa, where'd that come from?_

"And you make my life more hippie." Max playfully shoved Chloe's shoulder at her clever remark, and the two remained in silence for a moment.

"What were you thinking about?" Max couldn't help but ask.

"It's…nothing."

"Can't be nothing, otherwise you wouldn't have come here." Max couldn't help but feel that she was being too pushy, but she was already a rather nosy person to begin with, so being pushy wouldn't have been a far cry from her usual self.

"Just…this girl I like." Max could tell Chloe was reluctant to admit, but she felt content knowing that her friend trusted her enough to talk to her, even if it was rather vague.

"Looks like we're still on the same boat then." Max felt a sting in her heart knowing that Chloe had interest in another girl, and she was certain that it wasn't her. She even juggled the possibility that it could be Rachel. "Whatever it is, I'll do whatever it takes to help you. I'm here for you, Chloe."

 _Okay, what is with you, Max? All this is coming out of nowhere._

"Thanks, Maximus." Chloe ruffled Max's hair and began to loosen up, her emotions didn't tense her up as much and the brunette could tell. "Ugh, too much mush, I need some shut eye." Max giggled and she nodded in agreement.

Both girls scratched their heads as they realized that there was only one bed. There was an awkward silence between was broken by awkward chuckles.

"I mean, I'm fine with sleeping on the floor…" Max offered, but Chloe retorted.

"Hella no, I'm the burden here so I should sleep on the floor."

"We could share my bed." Even Max herself was surprised by her sudden proposal.

 _Why would you_ ever _ask that, Max? She'd_ never _say ye-_

"Sure, I've done it before."

 _Apparently she would._

Max was stunned by the agreeing Chloe, but played along by her new ambitious persona that she had involuntarily created.

Max nervously snuggled into the far end of the bed, facing the wall with her back to Chloe, and a few moments later, she felt the punk's stomach grazing her back. She felt her whole body shiver at the contact and she was glad that her face was hidden from Chloe's view.

"Max…" She heard Chloe whisper and muttered an unsure 'mm?' back to respond. "You don't need to have your back turned to me. Don't make it awkward like that." Chloe chuckled and Max anxiously rotated her body to face the bluenette, and she was greeted by a friendly smile shining across her face.

Max was still blushing but was glad that the room was near pitch black. Regardless, Chloe's shimmering blue hair glowed amidst the darkness and was impossible to ignore.

Max gulped hard and her heart began to race. The two met each other in a deep gaze and couldn't leave the other's eyes.

The closeness was hypnotising. Chloe had her arm wrapped around Max's hip and to her back, while Max's arms were trapped between Chloe's stomach and her own. Their noses almost touched and Max felt Chloe's soft breath on her lips. It smelled of marijuana and tobacco smoke, a smell that Max had learned to associate with her friend.

The stare continued for what seemed like many captivating hours and Max for a reason beyond her own explanation couldn't leave Chloe's eyes.

Max could only helplessly watch as the punk's face drew in closer to hers until their lips met. Chloe's lips were soft, and the kiss made Max to feel weightless. She felt as if everything in her body had evaporated and was beginning to drift away from her as the kiss continued.

It was mesmerizing, bewitching, enthralling. It was all Max had ever wanted.

The moment ended as Chloe finally pulled away and the two again met in a warm gaze. Max's body had melted away, and her face was so red that it almost shone like a glowstick in the darkness.

Amidst the heated moment of silence, Max heard a soft whisper from Chloe that she would never forget.

"Told you I was being serious."

* * *

 **A/N: Mmm, delicious fluff, oh how I thrive off of you. This was a fun chapter to write, and I think I managed to unleash my inner Pricefielder in this.**

 **Also, yes I am aware that Chloe and Rachel are 19 and not 18. I only made them match Max's age so that it'd make sense that they'd share classes and the fact that they're still studying at Blackwell.**

 **Not much else to say other than I hope you enjoyed the chapter as always. Be sure to leave reviews and comments to not only help the story improve, but help me improve as well.**

 **Stay awesome!**


	4. Revelations

**Chapter 4: Revelations**

The sound of a blaring alarm clock flooded Max' ears and her eyes shot awake. She rubbed her eyes to wipe away the sleep and blinked rapidly.

She searched the room for the source of the alarm in a panicked frenzy, before she finally noticed a cheap plastic analogue clock that sat on her bedside table.

She grabbed the fragile-looking object and fumbled around it in a desperate search for the 'off' switch, but to no avail.

Finally giving up, she tore open the battery slot and ripped out the battery, bringing the clock to a dead silence. Max let out a sigh of relief.

In one sudden rush, the events of last night poured into her head and Max's grogginess was immediately washed away.

 _Was that a dream? It felt too real._

Her body shot up and she frantically scanned the room for Chloe, only to be disappointed when she was nowhere to be seen.

"Chloe?" Max called out hopefully, but silence replied.

She looked down to where the punk had slept the previous night, but instead of being greeted by a sleeping blue angel, a bright pink slip of paper awaited her on the pillow.

 _ **Morning, hippie.**_

 _ **Set this alarm for you so that you wouldn't be late for class.**_

 _ **Text me.**_

 _ **-Chloe**_

 _Definitely not a dream._

Max pouted but then recalled the beautiful moment which occurred late last night. Her fingers trailed up to her lips and they gently made contact to where Chloe's had been. She let out a warm smile and her cheeks blushed.

She dove to her messenger bag on the floor and dug around until she finally felt her phone, withdrawing it and fumbling around with the device until she finally managed a steady grip on it.

The clock on the front page read 8:32 AM, so Max knew that she would have enough time to text Chloe, but maybe not enough for breakfast. Not that it mattered.

She navigated through her phone until she popped onto Chloe's messenger page.

 **Max: Hey, Chlo**

 _Now we wait._

So she did. Five minutes passed, no reply.

Ten minutes, no reply.

Fifteen, nothing.

At this point, Max was gritting her teeth in nervousness and also panicked when she realized that she was going to run late for class.

 _Shit, I_ really _need to get to class. But what if Chloe texts me and I don't catch it? Fuck, why does it have to be Monday, I don't even have science today. Maybe just five more minutes. Yeah, then I'll definitely go to class._

Twelve minutes passed and Max was still attentively staring at her phone's screen.

When she finally noticed the time, she let out a curse loud enough to wake the state and bolted to her feet to get ready.

* * *

Max rushed into the classroom, muttering apologies to the teacher and the class for interrupting the lesson. She shuffled to her seat with her head sunk to the floor and her eyes avoiding the glare of the other students.

She flopped down onto her seat and threw open her books, immediately scribbling down the resumed lesson down on her page.

Unfortunately for her, Max's head had other plans, ones that involved distracting her from the lesson with the recollection of the kiss from the previous night.

Her hand trailed off and her notes gradually transitioned to doodles of Chloe.

By the final bell, Max's page had started off hopefully with concentrated notes, but turned into what looked like an art museum of Chloe Price.

Max vowed to focus on schoolwork and erase the thoughts of blue-haired crush, it was her second week at Blackwell and she had already built up a bad reputation with the teachers.

 _No more Chloe. Forget about her, the kiss, and focus on the damn lessons._

By the end of the school day, her notebook had become a vast gallery of sketches of Chloe, from semi-realistic portraits, to cute cartoon doodles.

Max's blue pen had lost a lot of ink that day from the immense scribbling she did for Chloe's iconic blue hair.

It was the only part of her drawings she coloured, and each page looked almost like an ocean from the endless amount of blue ink painted across the page.

Max left Blackwell with her head in shame but was able to dissipate some of the thoughts after inhaling a fresh breath of autumn air.

"Max!" The brunette heard a jubilant voice from the campus and immediately began searching for the source of the noise, bearing a small hope that the voice was from Chloe.

She noticed a lively Kate dashing up the steps towards her and couldn't help but let off a smile once she saw Kate's.

The two hugged and greeted each other with warm smiles as they both began descending the steps towards the dormitories.

"Hey, you look pretty down, everything okay with you?" Kate tilted her head to get a better view of Max's sunken head. She expressed genuine concern for her distressed friend as she placed her hand on Max's shoulder for comfort.

"Yeah, just a tough day." Max kept the truth vague, but she knew it wasn't long before she would have to tell Kate.

"You wanna talk about it?"

 _Wowser, something about Kate just makes me feel comfortable talking to her about this stuff, and she's not even gay. Well, so am I. Or am I? Maybe she is. Wait, I'm confused._

"Uhh, Max?" Kate waved her hand in front of her distracted friend, snapping Max back to the conversation.

"Oh, sorry." Max nervously chuckled. "I…You know what, I'll tell you at my dorm. Can you come over?"

"Sure, I don't have much homework today, I can spare some time." Kate smiled as they headed closer towards the Prescott Dormitories. "Besides, I'd always make time for you, Max."

Max felt flattered by Kate's remark, and sent her a warm smile to show it.

"Thanks, Kay."

* * *

"Home, sweet home." Max swung the door to her room open and gently tossed her messenger bag onto the floor as she regularly did.

She watched as Kate scanned the room innocently, smiling at the various Polaroid photos and numerous posters plastered on the walls which Max had recently finished placing the recent weekend.

"I love your room, it's like I'm in a photo gallery." Kate complimented, carefully observing the assortment of pictures lined across the wall next to her bed.

"Is the gallery any good?" Max joked with a hint of seriousness hidden behind her voice, anxious to what Kate would reply with.

"The best." With the self-critical Max now relieved, she sat on her bed and Kate promptly joined her.

"So I guess I should tell you what's on my mind."

"You don't have to, Max. I'm perfectly fine with just hanging out here with you."

"No, you deserve to know." Max took a deep breath. "I'm sure you remember Chloe."

"How could I not? I'm still waiting on our next Two Whales date."

"Well, the thing is…" Max scratched the back of her head and Kate once again placed hand on the brunette's shoulder to comfort her.

"Max, it's okay." The two exchanged amiable smiles.

"I think I'm in love with Chloe." With that phrase, it felt as if a million tonnes of metaphorical weight was lifted off her chest. It felt good to finally tell someone how she was feeling, especially Kate.

"Max, that's great!" Kate was surprisingly enthusiastic about the news. "Does Chloe know?"

"No. Or at least I don't think so."

"Do you think she likes you back?" Max reacted to the question by leaping to her feet, flustered.

"That's the problem." Max recalled the kiss from last night, a memory that still made her blush just by the thought. "Kate, we kissed last night."

The other girl's jaw was left agape, and she rose up from her seat to stand next to Max, her hand once again on her shoulder.

"That's awesome! How come you're so upset though, doesn't that mean you two are together or something?"

"I honestly don't know. She came over last night asking if she could sleep over and I said 'yes'. We both decided to sleep in my bed, which was totally awkward for me, and then she just leaned in and kissed me."

"What happened next?"

"Nothing! She just closed her eyes and just fell asleep! I was just so shook by everything I didn't know what to do!" Max began feeling distressed and overwhelmed by it all, but the lingering feeling of Chloe's warm lips that she still felt fuzzy from helped calm her.

"Have you talked to her yet?"

"No, I haven't seen her all day. When I woke up, she was gone and the only thing she left was this note." Max dove into her pocket and pulled out the neatly folded slip of bright pink paper with Chloe's handwriting on it. She handed the note to Kate, who immediately held it to her face and read it.

"Did you text her?" Kate asked, handing the note back to Max who returned it to her pocket.

"Yeah. Actually, that reminds me." Max leaned over her messenger bag and dug out her phone, frantically guiding her fingers across the screen to her texts, hopeful that Chloe responded.

Unfortunately, all there was on the page was Max's message that she had sent that morning, still left unnoticed.

She pouted and Kate immediately caught onto why.

"What do you think this means, then?" Kate asked, just as hopeful as Max.

"I…I really don't know." The room became dead silent, Max now trapped in contemplation and Kate not knowing what to say. Max had a sudden realization, one that she desperately wished wouldn't be true. "Do you…do you think she's trying to avoid me?"

"No, of course not! Why would she ever try and avoid _you_ , Max?" Kate wrapped her arms around her friend in a reassuring hug. "Maybe this is just a huge moment for her too, she might be just as confused as you."

"Maybe…but she seemed so casual about it. I'm sure she's been in a billion other relationships with other girls before. What if she's just teasing me?"

"Max, trust me." Kate gripped Max by her shoulders, looking her dead in the eyes. "Anything bad you think is 100% wrong. Chloe would never tease or ignore you, you're her friend. I say you go to her house, see if she's there and talk to her. Just do anything to make yourself feel better." Max suddenly began feeling more confident, Kate's motivational words brought determination into Max's heart.

"What would I say?" Max twiddled her thumbs.

"Tell her how you feel. You can't just run away from this, you gotta embrace it, Max."

With her morale boosted and her messenger bag slung over her shoulder, Max and Kate left the dormitories and parted ways, the motivating girl sending a few final words of encouragement.

 _Crap, I never knew Kate was so knowledgeable about this stuff. That girl is seriously an enigma, but a really adorable one made out of marshmallows and sunshine. Actually, that'd be weird, a person made out of marshmallows. They'd be really damn fluffy though._

Max swiftly shook her head to bring herself back from her tangent.

 _Max, you dork. I bet you're high again._

* * *

Max stood before the front door of the Price residence, her fist raised and ready to knock, however, she was still searching her brain for the right words to say, and lowered her hand for a moment to think.

 _I mean, what do you say to the girl that just kissed you out of nowhere in your dorm? 'Oh, hey Chloe, yeah it's me, that hippie girl you kissed last night, how's it been?'_

Max exhaled a confident sigh and raised her fist once again to knock.

Just before she was able to hammer on the door, it swung open to reveal a surprised Chloe, seemingly leaving, who jumped at the unexpected sight of Max.

"Whoa, Max, you gonna punch me or something?" Her reaction was surprisingly mellow despite what had happened.

Equally, Max yelped the moment she saw Chloe. She immediately lowered her fist and hid it behind her back and scratched her head nervously with her free hand.

"Chloe. I uhh…I wanted to talk to you about last night." Chloe began to ponder in silence before she stepped outside and closed the front door. She walked past Max to the driveway and jumped into her pickup truck, leaving Max bewildered.

Chloe lowered the window and gestured over to the stiff Max who still stood at Chloe's doorstep.

"Come on, hippie, you gonna get in the car or what?"

Max took the cue and shuffled to the passenger seat, swiftly obeying the abrupt order without question.

The truck sputtered to life and growled its way out of the driveway, with both passengers remaining quiet as it did.

The first few minutes of the drive was left in complete silence, aside from the grumbling sound of the truck's engine and its tires rolling over the asphalt.

 _Come on, Max, just say it, you're just making it awkward every second you don't talk._

"Chloe…" Max started to speak but Chloe brought up her finger in front of the brunette's lips to hush her.

"Shh, later." Chloe sounded as if she had something planned, she seemed very concentrated.

Max shut herself up, confused at Chloe's attitude, but somewhat relieved since she still hadn't thought of the right words to say.

To Chloe's demands, the rest of the drive remained silent as the punk focused on the road while Max simply enjoyed the peaceful scenery beyond the passenger window.

Following an uneventful five minutes of driving, the truck finally pulled to a stop at a secluded parking lot next to a path leading up to a forest.

Chloe turned the ignition off and briefly looked at Max.

"We're here." She smiled proudly and left the truck.

"Chloe, where are we?" Max observed the picturesque surroundings, tempted to pull out her camera for a quick snap.

"Come on, slowpoke, keep up." Chloe beckoned Max towards her as she began trekking up the path.

Max obliged and jogged to catch up, still bemused as to where she was and why.

The forest cut off into a clearing on a cliff top where a decrepit lighthouse towered over the two girls. A park bench rested near the edge, finishing off the simple, yet gorgeous image. The sun began to descend over Arcadia Bay as the faint sound of crashing waves calmed the air.

Chloe was quick to skip over to near the edge of the cliff to absorb the view and fresh air.

Max gingerly approached the punk and eventually stopped right behind her. She stared at the Chloe's back which was turned to her while her eyes remained focused on the scene before her.

 _She looks so beautiful with the sunset. Hold on…_

Max stepped back and squinted as she mentally framed herself the perfect picture.

 _Perfect._

She dug into her bag and brought out her shoddy instant camera, quickly recreating her image and snapping the photo for eternal keeping.

The camera clicked and ejected the Polaroid which Max carefully pinched and shook as she always did from habit.

The sound sparked Chloe's attention, and the girl finally swung around to see what Max had done.

"Did you just take a picture of me?" Chloe giggled as she began approaching Max who was fixated on her new favourite picture.

 _Wowser…it's perfect._

The image perfectly captured the opposite facing Chloe standing before a captivating sky of sunset orange, her vibrant blue hair adding an extra dash of unique colour to the picture. It was as if warm had clashed with cool, and of the thousands of pictures that Max had taken throughout her life, this was her best one by a long distance, with a potential hint of bias thrown into the judging.

Max had been so concentrated on her new masterpiece that she hadn't noticed Chloe who was now standing in front of her.

"Lemme see." The grabby punk reached out for the Polaroid, but Max retaliated by dodging back at the last moment.

"No way." Max shook her head and began stepping backwards, but Chloe followed, her hands still reaching out.

"Max, don't make me chase you." There was an impish grin across Chloe's face, which sparked a shy smile from Max.

"Try me, Price." Max daringly taunted Chloe with a gesture for her to bring it on, it was like she was poking an sleeping bear with a stick.

"That's it, come here!" Chloe bolted into a sprint and began chasing after Max who shrieked with glee and started evading.

The two flew around the clearing in circles, Max narrowly dodging Chloe's slender fingers.

Chloe finally managed to barely grab a hold on Max's hoodie, swinging her around and pulling her into her arms.

Max met Chloe's gaze as the punk held her tight with her arms wrapped around her waist.

Taking advantage of the dazed Max, she released one arm and snatched the picture from Max's hand, bringing it close to her face.

"Hm." Chloe nodded in approval.

"Do you uhh…do you like it?" Max nervously asked, her words leaving her lips in almost a whisper. Chloe responded with a deep stare, her grin forming to a pleasant smile.

"I hella love it." The punk's compliment made Max blush and tensely smile, her eyes never leaving Chloe's.

Without a word, Chloe leaned into Max's face slowly, and just as it happened last night, the two met in a passionate kiss under the enthralling sunset. It was heaven, and not just for Max.

Their lips finally parted and eyes once again locked together, Max breathlessly biting her lower lip, still enticed by what had just happened.

"Chloe…" Before Max could say any more, Chloe hushed her again.

"Shh. I'll save you the trouble. Yes, Max. I am _hopelessly_ in love with you." Chloe's admittance was bold, fearless. Max was taken aback, but it seemed as if her world had exploded into a parade of joy and excitement.

 _She…she_ does _share the same feelings as me…Wowser…_

"I…I uhh…" Max's brain began malfunctioning, the bliss erupting in her head had obliterated her abilities to speak structured sentences.

"Max, English, words." Chloe snapped her fingers in front of Max's eyes to snap her back into reality.

"I…I'm in love with you too…" Max noticed Chloe's face light up with glee, they both had finally been granted what they wanted; each other.

Rather than wasting their breaths with words, they both opted to kiss instead, and when they both parted lips it left Max just as dazed and hypnotised as she was after their kiss last night.

"Wowser…" Max impulsively spoke, immediately cringing at her choice of word and blushing after realizing what she had just said.

Chloe howled with laughter in response, entertained by Max's embarrassment.

"You're so fucking adorable." Chloe brought Max tightly towards her into a warm hug. The two shared each other's touch before Chloe finally let go once she noticed the mesmerizing scene that she had been briefly distracted from. "Wow." It was all she could mutter at the sight, now that she could appreciate it with Max.

The brunette turned to face the sunset with Chloe's arm wrapped around her waist. Max leaned her head on the punk's shoulder and the two of them enjoyed each other's company witnessing the sun descend.

"You sure you don't wanna get a pic of this?" Chloe turned her down to glance at Max while the girl still maintained an allured stare with the sky.

Max looked up to meet Chloe's eyes. She didn't need to get her camera.

"I have the perfect picture. Right here." Chloe only responded with a warm smile and returned to watch the sunset, as did Max.

She knew this would be the start of something amazing, and with Chloe truly by her side now, she couldn't wait to see what her future held in store.

Max had plenty of time to find out.

* * *

 **A/N: Hi, do people even read these? Regardless, another chapter for those who waited so patiently.**

 **By the way, I'm sure a few might complain about Kate's completely altered personality, how I wrote her as a happy-go-lucky companion to Max instead of the shy, depressed girl she is in the game. Just please keep in mind this story takes place in an AU where she was never bullied. I hate seeing the precious cinnamon bun hurt like that so I used the mystical powers of creative writing and prevented it from happening. None shall hurt the beloved Kate! Must protect!**

 **Still plenty more to come, there's still so many characters I need to write in like Victoria, Warren, Alyssa, etc.**

 **Hope you enjoyed, let me know what you thought in the comments. Stay awesome!**


	5. Diary Entry 1

**Chapter 5: Diary Entry – 09/18/2013**

Oh journal, how I've missed you.

I'm very sorry I haven't been keeping up with you lately, Blackwell's been dumping loads of work on me that I just couldn't find time to do it. BAD MAX.

But there's something huge that's just happened that I can't keep it in my head, it might explode and cause pieces of hippie to splatter on my walls. I don't wanna make poor Samuel clean that up. Anyways, I digress.

On my first day of Blackwell, I met this girl named Chloe who was really nice to me, we insta became friends. She's really pretty and funny and has that punk aesthetic which made her somehow irresistible to me.

It became really awkward to hang with Chloe when I had these wild feelings about her, I mean it was hard for me to just look at her without blushing like a peach.

We even ended up kissing when I for some totally stupid reason agreed to try smoking weed for the first time…EUGH. Long story short, I got wicked high and ended up kissing Chloe without knowing it.

Then, Chloe came over to my dorm late night to sleepover, then we kissed AGAIN.

I guess that's when things just got totes confusing. I went to talk to her about it all, but she instead just drove me to this jaw-dropping lighthouse on this cliff top that overlooked all of Arcadia Bay. It looked like it was ripped right out of a fairy tale.

And a fairy tale it became. We both ended up admitting our feelings for each other. Oh yes, Chloe had feelings for me too. I think a massive party erupted in my head when she told me.

Which brings us to present day Max Caulfield. I guess Chloe and I are an official couple now, it's 1AM the morning after everything at the lighthouse and I'm sitting here in the dark writing. It's 21st century, does that mean we gotta make it Facebook official too? Or is that just showing off?

This whole thing has made me question who I really was too. Am I gay? Bi? Who knows. One thing I know for sure, is that I have Chloe now, and I couldn't be happier. Which reminds me, I gotta tell my parents, I don't know how they'd react to this. I'm sitting here crossing my fingers hoping they'll be chill about it. After all, I am their daughter.

I just can't get Chloe out of my head. Her blue hair and her smile are all I can think about. God, how am I gonna concentrate in class tomorrow? Pretty sure I have a quiz too. I don't know what course it's for. I really need to pay more attention in class.

Anyways, I'm tired. I think I'll go drift off to sleep and dream about Chloe forever. UGH WHY DOES SCHOOL HAVE TO EXIST, JUST LET US LOVE.

Night night, journal. Maybe I'll write again soon.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey y'all. So I kind of wanted to try something a little different for this story, in this case, a short chapter dedicated to Max's journal. I got the idea from the fanfic Ouroboros, which had chapters that were random text messages between the characters to get some nice insight into their lives within the story.**

 **Please let me know what you think of this type of chapter, if you like it, I'll do them every once in a while.**

 **Anyways, stay awesome!**


	6. Pirates of Arcadia Bay

**Chapter 6: Pirates of Arcadia Bay**

Chloe practically skipped joyously down the hall of the girls' dormitory with a take-out bag from the Two Whales clutched in her hand.

She halted in front of room 219, the one occupied by Max Caulfield. Chloe couldn't contain a wide smile on her face, and with her free hand, she pattered on the door.

Beyond the door, Chloe could faintly hear the muffled sound of a body thud onto the floor, likely Max being awoken from her slumber and unwillingly falling off her bed.

Chloe giggled and patiently waited for Max to respond.

The door gingerly opened to reveal a groggy Max, her hair in a mess while she still wore her pajamas.

 _Hello Miss Bedhead._

"Kate, I thought you were coming to pick up your book-" Max stopped herself when she realized that it wasn't Kate at the door. When she laid eyes on Chloe's beaming smile and glowing blue hair, she gasped and slammed the door shut in embarrassment.

Rather than feeling offended, Chloe howled out with laughter at Max's reaction. She hammered on the door again.

"Maaaaax, I have breakfast." She called.

"Chloe! I…You…" A muffled shriek of agitation came from behind the door. "Just… _please_ wait outside."

"Roger that." Chloe patiently leaned on the wall next to the door, chuckling as she heard the sounds of Max frantically scrambling around her room to get dressed.

Every few seconds, she'd hear a curse coming from the girl as she fumbled about around her dorm.

Finally, Max remerged and awkwardly stood before the taller girl.

"Hi…" Max shyly greeted, her head sunk down in shame with her face flushed red.

"Howdy." Chloe used her free head to tilt the flushed girl's head up to her before she leaned in and pecked a kiss on her warm lips.

She drew back to see Max with a stunned expression, which only prompted a short chuckle.

"Sorry for slamming the door on you…I wasn't really expecting-" Chloe hushed Max before she could continue.

"Water under the bridge, I found it _hilarious_." She raised the bag of take-out in front of Max's face. "No talk, we must feast." Max giggled and gestured the punk to come inside.

Chloe shut the door behind her as she examined Max's room which had changed rather significantly since she had last visited.

Numerous Polaroid photos lined the walls and Chloe immediately felt artistic vibes radiating throughout the room.

"Holy amazeballs, you've been doing some renovating, haven't you?" The bluenette's eyes struggled to settle on just one sight, the whole room seemed like a massive expression of Max, which Chloe had no complaints about.

Max sat down on the floor which Chloe followed suit. She planted the take-out bag in between the two girls and began digging through its contents.

"You _actually_ bought me breakfast?" Max was rather astonished by the fact that Chloe had gone through the trouble of waking up very early to purchase a warm meal for her before the school day.

"Of course I did. That's what girlfriends do." Chloe winked at the blushing Max. "Now for the biggest decision of your life; Belgian waffle, or bacon omelette?" Chloe held up two small take-out containers in each hand, balancing them on her palms like a scale.

"Belgian waffle." Max giggled at Chloe's hyperbolic remark as she was handed one of the containers, followed by a plastic fork.

Chloe also withdrew two concealed cups of coffee from the bag, handing one to Max as she began chewing through her waffle.

She couldn't help but stare at the other girl as she innocently nibbled on her food. It seemed like such an inanity, yet Chloe was amused by it.

 _She's so cute when she eats._

Max looked up to notice Chloe staring and was puzzled as to why.

"What's wrong?" Max swallowed her food and gazed at Chloe. The punk shook her head and returned to preparing her own meal.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it." Chloe took the first bite from her bacon omelette, keeping her eyes off of Max's.

"Come on, what is it? You were looking at me as if I had something on my face." Max reached over and nudged her girlfriend on the shoulder.

"It's just…you're just so beautiful." Chloe admitted, returning the gaze. Max's face grew red and she pulled back a few loose strands of hair that hung over her face.

There was a brief silence in the room as the two stared deeply into each other's eyes.

"I…I thought about you a lot last night." Max nervously confessed, rubbing the back of her neck. Chloe could only smile.

"I thought about you too." Another momentary silence filled the air before the two leaned into each other to passionately kiss.

 _That never gets old._

When they parted lips, they maintained a heavy gaze with each other, their faces still close enough to touch noses.

In synchronised fashion, they both giggled and drew back before resuming their meals.

"You know what I just realized?" Chloe asked with her mouth partially full of egg and bacon. Max could only reply with a contemplative 'hmm?' as her mouth was stuffed as well.

"Rachel's gonna hella freak out about this." It was a moment of realization for Max, who somewhat looked forward to witnessing her reaction.

"Kate'll probably be ecstatic too." Max poked at the remaining pieces of her waffle while Chloe was left confused.

"Kate? Why her?"

"Oh, I sorta told her how I felt about you yesterday. It was before I went to your place."

"Really now? What'd she say?"

"Surprisingly, she got pretty excited. She kept on telling me how I should just embrace it and that I should go talk to you."

"And thus you did."

"Indeed." They each gulped down the last of their coffee, concluding their first meal as a couple.

"Thanks again for the free breakfast." Max began cleaning up the small mess they had made, as did Chloe.

"Who said it was free?" The punk shot Max a joking smile. "Kidding. It's my treat, and you deserve it."

"Thanks." A warm smile shined from Max's lips. "I should go wash up and get ready for school."

"Guess I should take off then." Chloe retrieved the take-out bag, now filled with empty containers and coffee cups.

"You can stay here if you want, I won't be long." Surprised at the invitation, Chloe agreed and waved Max goodbye as she left for the showers.

The solitude allowed Chloe to admire the décor in the room more. There was a vast variety of photos on the walls; scenes of nature, family photos, and adorable selfies.

However, one particular picture caught her eye. Framed and resting on Max's desk was the Polaroid of herself at the lighthouse, the same one from the day prior.

Chloe picked up the picture and smiled, appreciating Max even more for cherishing the moment this way.

 _I still can't get over how goddamn amazing this picture is. Wait, that sounds kind of narcissistic. But this pic is still seriously amazeballs._

She returned the frame back on the desk in its original position before she scanned the room once more, this time laying her eyes on a decorated acoustic guitar leaned against Max's couch.

 _Max can play guitar? God, is there anything she can't do?_

Chloe traced her finger across the smooth laminated surface of the instrument, smiling at the cute little stickers plastered on the surface.

Curiously, Chloe picked up the guitar and sat down on the couch, holding it awkwardly as it rested on her lap. She gingerly took her right hand and gently strummed the six strings, grimacing when the unpleasant sounds of shoddy notes filled her eardrums.

 _Okay, this is a lot harder than it looks._

Chloe spent the next ten minutes toying with the guitar, plucking its various strings and feeling pleased with herself when she made audible notes.

Max eventually returned into the room looking fresher and more awake, but she was greeted to the pleasant surprise of a beaming Chloe holding her guitar.

"Max, look! I can play 'Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star'!" Chloe exclaimed before she began clumsily picking the strings, often missing notes and breaking tempo constantly.

She proudly finished the song, looking back at Max for approval.

"Ta daaa." Chloe stretched out her arms and bowed gracefully.

 _Hell yeah, that'd oughta get her to beg for you._

The amused girl could only laugh at the punk's inept attempts at playing the guitar.

"That was…interesting. Maybe I'll teach you someday." Chloe's eyes lit up at Max's offer. "Now put that thing away before you scare away the birds."

Chloe giggled before returning the instrument back to its spot next to the couch.

"I think it's a _little_ too late for that, Maxie." She wrapped her arm around Max's waist and the two left the room smiling.

* * *

"Two Whales? Again?" Max entered the diner with her hand linked with Chloe's. The excited punk lead her girlfriend into the restaurant towards and empty booth before she gestured her formally to sit.

"Oh come on, what's wrong with Two Whales?" Max took a moment to ponder until she realized that she couldn't think of any major flaws about the establishment, it was near perfect.

"Touché." The two sat in silence for a moment before it was broken by Max. "So…our first date, huh?"

"Well, technically our second, if you count the time we came here with Kate."

"Fine, our first date as a _couple_." Chloe beamed at Max's referral of the two as a couple.

 _Another thing I'll never get sick of. Hee hee._

"Anyways, I'm starving. Let's order something." Chloe rubbed her stomach as Max's jaw was left agape.

"You're _still_ hungry? You ate three chocolate bars and a large bag of chips in the car on the way here." Chloe simply scoffed.

"That's like bread crumbs to me. By the way, I'm still not hearing any compliments from you about that. I mean, getting all those snacks down all while driving is pretty impressive, don't you think?" Chloe joked and Max giggled.

"Yes, bravo to you, Chloe, I'm sure the Queen of England is on her way to congratulate you any moment now."

"Maybe not for a while, she told me she was running late." The two laughed at their ongoing comedic role-play before Chloe waved down a waitress.

"Hey you two, how was school?" To no surprise, Chloe's mother appeared to greet the girls.

 _Shit, mom doesn't know about us. Maybe I should tell her now._

"It was great, mom." Chloe replied nervously.

"That's good to hear. My day hasn't been too much the same though, so many assholes coming in, pardon my French."

 _Okay, maybe not._

"I'm sorry to hear that, mom."

"Anyways, enough about my day. Let's get down to the nitty gritty, what can I get you two young ladies?" Chloe's mother retrieved a small notepad and pen to record the order, and Max requested a plate of pancakes after some thought, while Chloe ordered her usual bacon and eggs.

Chloe's mother poured each of the girls some coffee before departing to the kitchen, and once Chloe was sure that she was gone for the moment, she took the opportunity to lean in and surprise kiss Max.

She rapidly drew back after a soft moment, leaving Max dazed. Chloe chuckled at her reaction.

"Oh. My. God." The two heard a recognizable voice from behind them, and Chloe turned to see a stunned Rachel with her fingers to her lips in shock. "If any of you tell me that was some silly little dare you did, I will rip your heads off." Rachel joked before planting her hands on the table.

 _Whoops._

Chloe and Max awkwardly stared at each other, wondering who would be the one to tell Rachel, who still stood impatiently.

Max shook her head and pointed to Chloe, who groaned as she agreed to be the one to confess.

"Fine. Yes, we're dating." One word was enough to send Rachel into a fit of ecstatic frenzy. She began jumping about and dancing, sparking attention from the rest of the customers.

"Hella fucking yes! See, the moment I saw you two kiss-" Chloe swiftly cupped Rachel's mouth before she could continue.

"Shh! My mom doesn't know about us yet and I don't want her to freak out. Not yet." Rachel nodded, but Chloe was hesitant to trust her to be able to contain her excitement.

She reluctantly retracted her hand and Rachel was left calm, surprisingly.

"So, are you two on a date right now?" Rachel whispered, leaning in between the two. Chloe simply nodded, which caused the other girl to silently yelp. "Okay, I won't disturb you, I was never even here." Rachel began backing away from the table to the opposite end of the room. "But you better tell me _everything_ , Price." She pointed at the bluenette.

"Sorry about that, Max." Chloe apologized, but Max was still struggling to contain her giggles. "At least I know I was right about Rachel being excited."

"Indeed you were." Max then looked past Chloe's head towards the front door of the diner, seemingly distracted by something. "Who's that?" Max pointed at a blonde pixie-haired girl boasting a wealthy outfit of cashmere.

 _Are you fucking kidding me? Victoria?_

Chloe scowled as she immediately recognized the snobby Victoria Chase, entering the room as if she owned it, and with the fortunes in which her parents held, it wouldn't have surprised Chloe if she did.

"Victoria Chase, rich, pretentious queen bee of Blackwell." Chloe annoyingly replied.

"How come I've never seen her around?" Max asked.

"She was on some extended vacation to Paris or some shit, didn't think she'd return so soon." Max could only respond with silence. "My word of advice, stay away from her, she'd hella bad news."

"Oh great, _you're_ here." Chloe looked up next to her to see the arrogant Victoria glaring down.

"The fuck do you want, Chase?" Chloe spat.

"Wow, I just get back and you already treat me like shit. Typical. Anyways, who's your new toy?" Victoria glowered at Max.

"None of your goddamn business. Now fuck off to daddy's Porsche and get out of my face before I beat yours in." Chloe stood up to face Victoria at eye level, who was far from fazed by her insults.

"Ooh, getting feisty. You trying to impress this little rut? Didn't think your standards were _that_ low, Price." Victoria's quarrelling only prompted Chloe to lift her fist before Max dove in to stop her.

"Chloe, no!" The angered girl stopped her fist in its tracks, irritated that she couldn't cave the ostentatious girl's face in.

"How cute, I guess dirty little rats have to look out for each other. You two have a nice date." Victoria pompously smiled before departing, her small clique following close behind.

Chloe sat back down and slammed her fist on the table.

"Fucking whore." She cursed. Max only nervously watched her frustrated partner.

"You okay?" Max rested her hand on the riled girl to comfort her, and Chloe immediately felt better now that she was reassured by her girlfriend.

"I'm fine. Hey, thanks for stopping me from tearing a hole into that bitch's face. Mom would _not_ have been happy about that."

"Of course. She's a real ray of sunshine, isn't she?" Max sarcastically joked, which was reacted by Chloe with a sharp chuckle.

"Yep, kids love her." The two sat in silence for a while, only the background sounds of clattering plates and chatting customers breaking it.

 _Welp, there goes the perfect date._

Chloe pouted in disappointment, but giving up was at the bottom of her list of options, she was determined to make this the best first date she could possibly make it.

 _Not on my watch._

"Come on, let's get out of here." Chloe reached down for Max's hand, and the other girl immediately obeyed without question, but that wasn't to say that she wasn't confused.

"Where are we going?" Max struggled to keep up as Chloe dragged her through the building crowds.

"You'll see."

* * *

The cabin of the truck gently rumbled as it rolled over the narrow dirt road slowly leading towards a rather unforeseen spectacle.

Before Max was a junk yard littered with rusty wreckages of cars and piles of trash in disarray. Although it seemed like such a disgusting sight, to Max it was a brilliant opportunity for some amazing shots.

The two hopped out of the truck and Chloe immediately skipped into the yard while Max took the moment to soak in the details.

 _She seems to like this place. Exactly how I wanted it._

"Wowser, what is this place?" Max asked as she roamed around the yard, observing the various piles of strewn garbage and junk.

"Welcome to American Rust, my home away from hell." Chloe proudly stood in the center of the site. "I like to come here when I wanna be alone or just chill. Rachel loves this place."

"I can imagine. Man, this place is amazing, I can take some great shots here." Max reached into her messenger bag to retrieve her camera, but Chloe stopped her.

"That can wait, I have something else in mind." Chloe stepped closer to Max, wrapping her arms around her waist and locking her in a heartfelt gaze.

A passionate kiss followed and the two were glad to be finally alone with plenty of time on their hands. The peaceful sounds of chirping birds along with the cool fall breeze made the moment even more special, and the girls were simply happy to have each other.

They eventually drew away and smiled, both of them still recovering from the moment.

"You're really good at kissing, you know that?" Chloe remarked, rather surprised at Max's skill.

"Really? I mean, I just watched a lot of romance movies, maybe that's where it comes from." Max shyly admitted.

"Wait, was I your first kiss?"

"Maybe…" Chloe's jaw dropped.

"Damn, seems like photography ain't the only thing you're hella good at." Max playfully shoved Chloe's shoulder.

"This place…it's nice." Max softy spoke.

"Glad you like it." The two kissed again, letting the incident with Victoria be erased by the embracing of each other. "I think it's time you show me some of your rad photography skills, Mad Max!" Chloe parted from the close hug with the other girl and ran off towards a pile of wrecked cars. She climbed the wreckage until she was a standing atop the tower of trashed metal, hands on her hips in a proud manner.

Max laughed before she grabbed her instant camera, quickly snapping a picture of the cheerful Chloe who stood confidently.

"Chloe, get down from there, you're gonna fall!" Chloe only scoffed, cocky in her ability to remain balanced.

"It's totally fine, I've been up here bef-" Chloe's right foot lost balance and the punk nearly tipped over, barely managing to keep herself on the wreckage. "Okay, I'm coming down!" Max laughed at Chloe's sudden change of mind.

The excited girl hopped down from the car and immediately began searching for more spots to create trouble in.

Her eyes lit up as she spotted a decrepit sailboat sat atop rusty metal debris. Instantly enticed by the possibilities, she sprinted over with Max trailing behind, camera still in hand.

Chloe fumbled onto the bow of the boat and stretched her arms out and her head back.

"I'm king of the world!" Chloe quoted as Max giggled. She reached her hand out to the nervous brunette, beckoning her to join. "Come on, Max, I got you."

Max reluctantly grabbed her girlfriend's hand, anyone else and she would have immediately refused the dangerous offer, but with Chloe, she felt she could do anything. Balancing herself on a creaky old boat felt like a good start.

Max wobbled as she landed her back foot on the boat, holding her balance as she gripped tightly onto Chloe's hands.

"Ahoy there, lassie! Hoist the anchors and we shall set sail for treasure!" Chloe stereotypically mocked a pirate, sparking more laughter from the comforted Max, who now felt right at home atop the boat.

"Aye, aye, Captain Price!" Max played along as she gave off a military salute to her new pirate captain.

"Quick, take a pic of me." Chloe stood back at the bow, her right foot planted at the edge in a slight lunge, while her right hand was held onto her forehead as if she was searching the horizon. Her free hand confidently rested on her hip, and it all made for a brilliant sight to behold.

Max carefully positioned herself and meticulously framed the picture before snapping it to cherish forever.

"Awesome." Max remarked as she looked at her new art piece. She handed the other girl the picture and Chloe's eyes lit up with delight.

"Hell yeah, I look so badass." Chloe then leapt off the boat before extending her arms out towards Max to do the same. "Just jump down, I have you." The determination in Chloe's eyes was more than enough to convince the frightened girl, she trusted her more than anyone.

Max yelped as she hopped down from the side, and Chloe was quick to react as she cushioned Max's drop by grabbing her in her arms.

Close together once more, they stared at each other with playful fire in their eyes, both knowing that there was so much more to be done.

"So, captain." Max started as she impishly grinned. "Where to next?"

* * *

Birds sang above Max and Chloe as they watched the clouds drift across the late afternoon sky.

The two girls lay hand in hand on a set of train tracks, not bothering to waste their energy with words, instead preferring the serene sounds of the forest surrounding them.

The day had been quite the adventure, and although Victoria had ruined Chloe's initial plans, none of that mattered anymore. They had each other, alone, and touching.

With light beginning to descend, Chloe almost felt drowsy from the peace. The sweet chirps of birds and the rustling wind in the air was enough to put her to a deep sleep and dream of a world where it was just her and Max with no one to disturb them.

 _This has been the best day of my life. I'm so glad she's here with me._

Chloe's mind drowned in thought as her body still struggled to recover from the exasperating rushes that she had put it through over the past few hours.

Max's camera had been relieved of all its remaining film, but the brunette did not care. She had used it all to capture the only person that mattered to her in the moment, and that was Chloe.

Her bag was brimming with pictures of the girl in front of a variety of scenes across the junkyard.

Some consisted of playful selfies where the two girls shared cheerful smiles, while others appeared as more serious, with Chloe standing in a stern pose, or seeming contemplative.

Regardless, Max knew she would have trouble finding space on her already cluttered walls to place her new gallery upon, but she left that worry for later.

The girls wished time would stand still and allow them to bask in the moment forever, but they both knew the world didn't work that way, and their only wish was to be able to bear the power to bend time to their will.

"Max?" Chloe gently spoke, turning her eyes to her partner.

"Yeah?" Max turned her head to share the gaze.

"I just want you to know, that being with you today…it's made me feel like the most special person in the world. We've only been together a day and I already feel this connection between us that no one could ever have. You're…you're truly amazing. Thank you." Chloe felt herself getting overly emotional, and watched as Max's face lit up with a delighted smile.

"You make me feel that way to, Chlo. I can't think of anyone I'd rather be with right now." They both leaned their heads in for another warm kiss, their bodies resting on the rails and their fingers intertwined. Chloe chuckled.

"Look at us, turning into giant piles of mush." Max shared the giggle. A silence filled the air while the two were locked in the tranquility of the moment. "I love you." The words came out of Chloe's lips almost as a whisper.

The day between them couldn't have been more perfect, and Chloe wished she could rewind time to experience it again.

Max's face glowed with a smile.

"I love you too."

* * *

 **A/N: Man, this chapter was hella fun to write. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it, and there's still more to come! Stay awesome!**


	7. Otters and Sharks

**Chapter 7: Otters and Sharks**

"This is nice." Chloe stared off into afternoon sky, the sunlight painting her face with a subtle glimmer.

"It really is." Max instead stared at Chloe, who appeared as the most breathtaking sight that she had ever laid her eyes on.

The wind rustled the grass underneath their picnic cloth and it flowed gently through Chloe's hair, adding another touch to Max's image.

With no way to resist the temptations, Max pulled out her instant camera and carefully framed Chloe into the screen, making sure that the picture would come out 110% perfect.

The familiar sound of the snapping photo filled the ears of both girls, and Chloe turned back to see Max shaking the Polaroid as she normally did.

Chloe shuffled over to sit closer next to Max, leaning her head over to get a better look of the image.

Within the frame, Chloe sat before a gorgeous ocean blue sky, the light shining through her, the swaying grass in the background adding an extra touch of colour along with the warmth of the sun and the blue of Chloe's hair.

"You like it?" Max turned her head to face Chloe, who instead of responding with words, opted to show her appreciation through a soft kiss, Max gladly accepting her reward.

"That answer your question?" Chloe cheekily asked, raising her eyebrow and smirking.

Max giggled and nodded her head, beaming with a smile and looking deep into Chloe's eyes.

* * *

 _ **BZZ BZZ**_

The vibrating sounds of Max's phone shook her awake. She groaned as she was dragged away from her perfect dream of Chloe, pouting as the images of it began fading away from her mind.

The irritated Max snatched her phone, frowning at the sight of the clock that read 2:27 AM.

 _Are you fucking kidding me? Who texts people this late?_

Max navigated her way to her recent texts to see that Chloe had messaged her at this late hour.

 _What could she want at two in the morning?_

 **Chloe: max payne**

 **Chloe: i have smth hella cool to show u**

 **Chloe: meet me outside blackwell front doors**

 _I can't believe this. Knowing Chloe, whatever this is will probably get me into heaps of trouble. Not complaining, though._

 **Max: Chloe**

 **Max: It's 2 in the morning**

 **Max: I'm tired .**

 **Chloe: trust me**

 **Chloe: once u see this, u wont be tired AT ALL**

 **Chloe: pleeeeeaaaaaaase**

 **Max: Fine -_-**

 **Max: This better be good**

 **Chloe: i wouldnt be textin u this l8 if it wasnt**

 **Chloe: just get out here**

 **Max: If this sucks, I get to use emojis whenever I want**

 **Chloe: we might need to renegotiate on that later**

 **Chloe: now hurry ur lazy butt**

 _Come on Max, Chloe would never rip you out of bed for something mundane, just go with her plan._

Max silently groaned, careful not to wake the other residents of the dormitory. The realization that she would be breaking curfew became daunting, she was already the subject of negative reputation from her teachers, adding to that may burn up her scholarship at Blackwell entirely.

 _It's Chloe, you'd do anything for her, even if that means breaking curfew._

Max hastily put on her clothes, a face of determination struck on her face.

She gingerly opened the door to her room, swinging her head in both directions of the hall to survey the area. Once Max was certain that the coast was clear, she tip toed her way out, gradually closing the door behind her and wincing when she heard even the tiniest creak.

With the door shut and the path now clear, she snuck through the hall towards the exit, somewhat frightened by the chilling silence.

 _I better not turn around and see Jason Voorhees chasing after me with a knife._

Now rather paranoid after the thought had entered her mind, Max darted her head around only to be greeted by the rest of the dark hall behind her.

Exhaling a breath of relief, she continued forward, still maintaining silent steps as she slowly approached the exit.

Max let out another sigh of relief once she left the girls' dormitories, rather surprised at her own abilities to be so stealthy.

 _Way to go, Ninja Max. Hm, that's got a nice ring to it._

Getting back on track, Max leaped down the steps and bolted out the door, moving swiftly as to not let Chloe wait any longer.

She smiled when she saw the vibrant hint of blue shining under one of the campus' lamps as the very recognizable Chloe paced around in circles impatiently.

Seeing this as a perfect opportunity to take revenge on Chloe for the unforgettable "Scary punk ghost" incident, Max crept around the oblivious punk's eyesight, taking advantage of her wandering attention.

 _I got you now, my precious…_

Max snuck up behind the unaware Chloe, struggling to hold back fits of giggles.

 _You're mine._

Max planted her hands on Chloe's shoulders with a tenacious grip, and then sunk her teeth into her neck, imitating a rather underwhelming vampire.

Nevertheless, it still sent her victim into shock, prompting an immediate jump of fear.

"JESUS HOLY FUCK!" Chloe leapt into the air and shrieked, her fright swiftly turning to irritation as she watched Max helplessly laugh uncontrollably.

"Karma's a bitch, isn't it?" Max smugly taunted as she struggled to regain her composure.

"Goddammit, Max! You nearly killed me!" Chloe heaved breathless gasps for air as she recovered from her near-death experience.

"Revenge for last time." Max wrapped the other girl in a hug to help her heart return to its normal pace, and Chloe returned the gesture.

"Fair enough, I say we're even now."

"Now, what's this surprise you dragged me out of bed for?" With the mention, Chloe's eyes lit up and she smirked. Her hand dove into her back pocket and remained there as she stood proudly.

"Drum roll please. I present to you…" Chloe pulled her hand out from her pocket to reveal a dangling chain of keys. "…the spare keys to Blackwell."

Max's eyes widened and her jaw-dropped.

"Are you cereal? Chloe, where'd you get these?" Max examined the keys, still struggling to believe that they were genuinely to the doors of the school.

"My step-douche is the head of security at this hellhole. Finally something he's good for." Max subtly pouted at the mention of a step-father, and in such a distasteful manner.

"So what are we even gonna do with that? Sneak in and change our grades or something?" Max jokingly asked.

"No, of course not. But now that you mention it…" Chloe raised her eyebrow deviously.

"Chloe, no. Don't even think about it."

"I'm kidding! I have something better." Chloe grabbed Max by her wrist and sprinted around the main building towards the gym. Max struggled to keep up with Chloe's superior speed, stumbling and nearly tripping over herself as they ran.

"Chloe, slow down!" Max whined.

"Stop complaining, hippie! Just keep up." Chloe ordered and Max groaned. Eventually, the two halted at the front door to the swimming pool.

"Chloe, you can't be serious." Max was in disbelief, already knowing what her girlfriend had planned.

"Oh I'm _hella_ serious, Maxaroni." With the brunette now reluctant more than ever, but still willing to trust her partner, she waited for the door to be unlocked, unable to protest.

 _She seriously isn't gonna go through with this, right?_

"And voila!" Chloe beamed with confidence as she boldly swung open the doors. "Come on, let's go." She paraded in impatiently, while Max only stood behind her hesitantly.

 _Screw it._

Max ran in after the cheerful punk, who fumbled around with the keys to the changing rooms.

Chloe eventually managed to get it open, and pouted when she saw the look of worry on Max's face.

"Max, you okay?" Chloe gently pressed her hands on Max's shoulders, giving her a look of reassurance.

"I'm just…worried." Max nervously replied.

"Don't worry, babe, you can totally chill about this. Rach and I have done this thousands of times."

"Have you ever been caught?"

"Of course not…except for once." Chloe muttered the confession of being caught, turning her head away in embarrassment.

"Chlo, I can't lose my scholarship here. My parents would _kill_ me."

"You won't, trust me. I have your back, and my step-dick works as another one-up card, he _won't_ let me into the hands of the cops."

"I…I still don't know…"

"If we get caught, which we _won't_ , I'll take _all_ the blame and make sure you don't get caught in the crossfire." There was still a concerned expression on Max's face, one that was slowly fading, but still there nonetheless. "Max, if you love me, you'll do this." The other girl groaned.

"God, I _knew_ you were gonna use that line on me." Chloe only winked in reply.

 _If you're smart, you would turn around and go back to your dorm as if this never happened._

Chloe gave her best puppy dog eyes, her hands locked together to beg.

 _But how can you ever deny that face? Come on, Max, you're young, do something to enjoy yourself for a change. Besides, you deserve some splish splash._

"Fine." Max finally submitted and Chloe jumped in delight.

"Yes!" Chloe dove her face into Max's for a quick, but rough kiss, catching her by surprise. "Now let's go before you change your mind." Once again, Chloe snatched Max by her wrist and pulled her along for a very bumpy, but exciting ride.

* * *

"And let there be light!" Chloe exclaimed as she switched the power on for the pool. The lights flashed on and illuminated the alluring water.

Max watched the lively punk sprint out and immediately begin throwing her clothes off.

She could only stand and helplessly observe Chloe strip down to her underwear before swan diving into the glowing water.

 _Wowser…_

Max had to hush herself before saying her thoughts out loud, something she was still embarrassed of after her and Chloe's first kiss.

"Max, don't stare at me like a zombie, get in here!" Chloe beckoned Max, who still stared hopelessly at the almost-naked Chloe.

She shook her head to regain her senses and she swiftly obeyed, tossing her own clothes off and diving into the pool.

"Cowabunga!" Max landed with a massive splash, immediately soaking her and Chloe with chlorine-filled pool water.

"Why look, an otter in my water." Chloe slowly swam towards Max tauntingly, swaying her upper body back and forth and humming the 'Jaws' theme song. "Dun dun dun dun…"

Max giggled and swam backwards to avoid the teasing punk, splashing water into her face.

Chloe chased Max around the pool in circles, the two exchanging attacks of splashing water and giggles.

Not looking where she was going, Max eventually ended up backing into the wall of the pool until she was trapped by Chloe who brought herself rousingly close to her body.

Chloe locked the other girl in a fiery gaze before plunging her lips ferociously onto hers, engaging in an ardent kiss.

The moment was overwhelming for Max, but in an amazing way. She moaned in pleasure as her tongue mixed with Chloe's, her wet skin grazing the punk's bare stomach.

Max let herself be captured in the sheer bliss of it all. The faint echoes of flowing water that reverberated within the walls, the heart-racing thrill that ran through her spine, the softness of Chloe's lips. It all formed one unforgettable moment, and Max was enraptured by everything.

After the breathtaking moment, Chloe drew away to Max's displeasure, gently cupping her cheek with her wet hand.

"You still tired?" Chloe softly asked, smirking.

"No…" Max's response was breathless, and it left her lips like a whisper. Chloe chuckled.

Neither of them knew what else to say, so they instead closed their eyes and simply held each other closely in the tranquility, gently touching foreheads and smiling.

Max finally opened her eyes to be greeted by Chloe who had done the same, and she lost herself in the shimmering beauty of her girlfriend's azure gaze.

"I hope this was worth getting up so late at night." Chloe softly whispered, Max feeling her cool breath on her face.

"You should've woke me up sooner." They both chuckled. "Thank you…for convincing me to do this…This was…so amazing." Chloe pleasantly smiled.

"Don't mention it. It's what you deserve." Chloe softly stroked Max's cheek with her thumb.

"Can we go? It's getting hella cold on here." Max asked, her voice beginning to tremble.

"Sure. Also, did you just say 'hella'?" Max herself chuckled after realizing that she had said it unintentionally. However, she was glad that she was picking up even the smallest habits that Chloe had. "I think I'm a good bad influence on you."

Chloe parted from Max and pulled herself up from the pool before reaching her hand out to her shivering girlfriend.

Max grabbed on and once both girls were out, they immediately felt the freezing rush in their bodies.

Chloe scampered off into the change room before emerging with two large towels, tossing one to the huddled Max who swiftly began drying herself off.

They both hastily threw on their clothes, anxious to get back into warmth.

"Ready to jet?" Chloe wrapped her arm around Max who nodded.

They left Blackwell, locking the doors behind them before sauntering their way into the center of the campus where they had met.

They both awkwardly stared at each other, neither of them wanting to part so soon.

"You wanna come over?" Chloe finally broke the silence, and Max's eyes lit up from the offer.

"Actually, I've never seen your place before, it'd be cool to check out the 'Chloe Cave'." The punk chuckled.

"More like the 'Chloe Crap-Shack'." She retorted.

With that, they left hand in hand towards the parking lot.

* * *

Max calmly awoke to the sounds of chirping birds and the sight of the morning light cracking through the curtains.

The memories from the previous night flooded her head and she smiled.

 _Last night was totally awesome. I reek of chlorine though. Meh, totally worth it._

She leaned over the side of the bed to see her messenger bag lying on the floor in shambles with her camera sticking out from inside.

 _Might as well try and keep up with my 'daily selfie quota'. That sounds a lot dumber the more I say it._

Her arm reached over for the camera and she narrowly grabbed it with her unsteady hand.

She extended her arm out to let the lens face her and put on a groggy smile, but she was interrupted by Chloe who dove her head into the frame.

"Photo bomb!" Chloe swiftly put on a cheerful smile and Max rolled her eyes.

"Photo hog." She groaned.

"You always take selfies in the morning?" Chloe asked, quickly snatching the ejecting Polaroid.

"Not every day." Chloe smiled at the photo, her eyes widening in approval.

"This one's a keeper. Also, you're showing me every single one of your morning selfies by the way, no buts." Chloe tossed the picture carelessly onto her desk for future storage, before leaning over to Max to give her a quick kiss.

She leapt up from the bed and joyously hopped to the closet, throwing the door open and carefully deciding on what to wear.

Max stretched her limbs and took a deep breath, amused by the sight of her girlfriend picking out rebellious and vibrant clothing.

With her back turned to Max, Chloe wiggled off her pajama shirt and dropped it onto her dresser, before unclipping her bra and throwing it off as well.

The speechless Max couldn't help but stare at the rather arousing sight of Chloe's bare back, but she jumped when she heard the girl speak.

"Max, I know you're staring."

 _SHIT. CODE RED, YOU'RE BUSTED._

"I uhh…sorry!" Max yelped as she twisted her body around to face the other way. She heard Chloe giggle from behind her back as she bit down on her fist to hold back the shrieks.

"You can look now, doofus." Chloe joked.

Max hesitantly turned back around, this time to see a fully dressed Chloe bearing a black punk rock t-shirt and tattered jeans.

"I didn't mean to…I wasn't…" Max stammered, but Chloe shushed her.

"You're just so fucking cute sometimes." Chloe swung the door to her bedroom open and gave one final glance to the embarrassed Max. "Now hurry your lazy ass downstairs and Mama Chloe will whip you up some breakfast."

* * *

The mouth-watering smell of pancakes flooded Max's nose as Chloe placed a plate of steaming food onto the table.

 _Oh man, that smells_ soooo _good. Drool._

"Bon appétit." Chloe smirked as she waited for Max's approval.

 _She looks cute in an apron._

Max smiled at the sight of a proud Chloe boasting a flowery apron over her punk-style clothes. It was so out of place, like light clashing with dark, but it was a sight to behold.

Max forked a generous mouthful of pancakes, stuffing it into her mouth and delicately chewing.

 _Holy shit._

"Holy shit." Max made her thoughts known, and she immediately dug in for more after getting a first taste.

"You like?" Chloe asked.

"Like? Chloe, these are the best pancakes I've _ever_ had! Where'd you learn to cook like this?" Max forked some more pancakes, craving more each bite.

"My dad used to make _amazing_ pancakes. I got it from him." Max sensed a subtle pain in Chloe's voice.

"Used to?" She was too curious not to ask, but she feared the worst.

"He…died in a car accident when I was thirteen." Max could tell that Chloe struggled to hold back oncoming tears.

"I…I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

"You don't have to apologize, I never told you." Max stood up from her seat to hold her distressed partner in a warm hug.

"Thanks, babe." There was a light shudder in Chloe's voice. "You should go back to eating." She pulled away from the hug, leaving Max concerned.

 _Poor Chloe. That's why she has a step-dad she hates so much._

Chloe walked over to the kitchen counter with her head hung down. Max approached the sorrowful girl and gently placed her hand on her shoulder.

"You okay?" Max spoke calmly, careful to not upset Chloe.

"I'm fine. It's just…my dad and I were really close." There was a tense silence as a single teardrop splattered into the counter. "I miss him so much…"

"I know you do. It's okay, I'm here." Chloe turned towards Max and wrapped her in a tight hug. Her breathing grew heavier as tears began to form in her eyes.

"I love you. Please never leave me." Chloe begged.

"Never."

* * *

"Thanks for the ride." Max said as the truck halted in front of the Blackwell campus.

"No problem." Chloe gave Max a heartfelt smile.

"You…you gonna be okay?" Max asked, placing her hand on Chloe's shoulder.

"Yeah. Sorry for bumming you out." Chloe chuckled, placing her hand on Max's.

"Don't worry about that. I'm more worried about you."

"I'll be okay. I just needed a moment."

"Okay. I'll see you soon." Max leaned in and kissed Chloe for a tender moment, the dismal girl gladly accepting it.

Max gave her one final look before she exited the truck and waved Chloe goodbye as she drove the car off to park.

Max let out a heavy sigh and walked up the steps to endure yet another dreary day at Blackwell.

* * *

Max's pen wandered across the page, forming intricate sketches and careless doodles. Unsurprisingly, most of them were of Chloe.

Students poured into the photography classroom one by one, all of them casually waiting for the teacher to arrive.

While others enjoyed the company of their friends and conversed with one another, Max simply kept to isolation, her head sunk down and her eyes away from others.

In a sudden moment, her sketchbook was snatched from her desk, catching the girl by surprise.

She looked up to see the imperious Victoria Chase, scanning the book with disgust.

 _You've got to be fucking joking with me right now? Her?_

"Cute drawings for such a pig. Can't put my finger on as to why you dig that dimwitted moron." Victoria chuckled at her own insults.

"Can I have that back?" Max asked rather politely, not letting anger get the best of her.

"Why? So you can go back to wasting your time on doodling an ogre? I mean, you should thank me for saving you the trouble of spending your life on meaningless shit." Victoria flamboyantly waved the book around, keeping it far from Max's reach.

"Don't you have better things to do than pick on your classmates? Just grow up and give me my notebook back." Max began to speak with a hint of fire in her tone. She grew more impatient and irritated by the second.

"How ironic, _you_ telling me to grow up." Victoria sarcastically laughed. "I'll tell you though, I was surprised to see that you were in this class. I'm sure it's pretty tough for pond scum like you to fit into this scene."

 _This bitch is really testing my patience right now._

Max felt her hand clench into a fist.

"Oh how cute, you're making a fist. You must feel really big for your shoes right now, huh? Hmm, hold that pose." Victoria pulled out her phone and swiftly snapped a quick photo of Max, catching her by surprise. "Not bad. A couple of filters and I'll turn you into the world's first monkey supermodel. You can thank me later." She returned her phone and dropped Max's notebook onto the floor, letting it land with a thud. "Whoops, butterfingers." Laughing at her dominance, she arrogantly stepped towards the back of the room, leaving Max fueled with bitterness.

 _Ugh! How can people be such assholes? Just calm down, Max, punching Victoria back to the Stone Age won't help, just focus on class._

Max groaned and retrieved her book, wiping the dust from the floor off of its cover.

As she stood up, she noticed Kate walk into the room, a rather odd sight as she wasn't in the photography course.

"Kate? What are you doing here?" Max asked with a furrowed brow.

"Oh, I switched courses. I saw how amazing your shots were and how passionate you were about photography, so I wanted to try and replicate that." Kate beamed.

 _Photography class with Kate? More than makes up for the fact that Little Miss Pretentious is in here._

"That's awesome. I'd be more than happy to help you get started, photography can be a bit tricky to get into at the start." Kate smiled at Max's offer.

"Isn't everything like that?" Kate joked.

"You could definitely say that." Max nodded in agreement.

"Anyways, I appreciate you willing to be my mentor."

"No problem."

As their conversation closed, Mr. Jefferson entered the classroom, laying his briefcase on his desk.

The class settled and naturally, Kate sat in the empty seat next to Max.

"Sorry I'm a bit late, couldn't find my spare SD card. Oh, I see Victoria has returned from her trip to Paris. Good to have you here, Miss Chase." Jefferson greeted as he carefully unpacked various items from his briefcase.

"Thank you Mr. Jefferson, I'm certainly glad to be back." Victoria replied in a flaunting manner.

"I also see that we have a new student amongst us today. You must be...Kate Marsh?" Jefferson took a pause as she scanned the attendance sheet.

"Yes…sir." Kate shyly replied.

"Well, we're very glad you decided to join this class. Anyways, continuing on from yesterday's lesson…"

* * *

"How'd you like it?" Max asked Kate as they left the classroom.

"I loved it! Didn't know photography was so fascinating." Kate exclaimed with delight. Max giggled. "Oh, how'd it go between you and Chloe?"

 _Oh shit, I forgot about that._

"Huh?" Max feigned ignorance, despite knowing what Kate was referring to.

"A few days ago, when you told me about how you felt."

"Oh, yeah."

 _Telling her was a lot easier in my head._

"We're uhh…we're kind of a thing now…" Max felt nervous for some odd reason, despite knowing that Kate had no mixed feelings regarding homosexuality. Perhaps it was just the daunting correlation between religion and homophobia that scared her.

"Oh my gosh, that's great!" Kate exclaimed and abruptly hugged Max with glee. "Max, I'm so happy for you two."

"Thanks, Kate. Didn't think you'd be _this_ excited." Max nervously chuckled.

"Are you kidding? Ever since you told me in your room, it's all I thought about. Actually, that sounded a bit creepy, is that okay?" Kate blushed as Max giggled.

"Of course it's fine. I'm glad I got someone looking out for my love life."

The two exited through the front doors and descended the stairs to the main campus, where many students conversed and entertained themselves through various activities as they usually did.

Amongst that crowd, sitting peacefully on the fountain, were Chloe and Rachel, with the latter girl seemingly irritating the punk.

Rachel noticed Max within her peripherals, and immediately jumped in excitement.

Rather embarrassingly, Max was greeted to a cheerful Rachel humming 'Here Comes the Bride', much to Chloe's annoyance.

"Oh my god, Rachel you ass!" Chloe complained.

"What?" Rachel replied, interrupting her song.

"Wait. Max, does Kate know?" Chloe asked, shielding her mouth to Kate and whispering just in case. Max nodded in reply.

"So what's been going on here?" Max asked, referring to the conversation between Chloe and Rachel prior to the brunette's arrival.

"Oh nothing, just Rachel hella bugging me non-stop." Chloe scowled at the smug girl.

"Well, sorry, but I needed deets, girl! You know how I am with this stuff!" Rachel argued, but Chloe rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, unbearable is how you are." Chloe rose up and wrapped her arm around Max's waist to Rachel's delight.

"Come on, Max. Let's go." Max giggled at the squabble between the two girls. Nevertheless, she obliged as the two departed for Chloe's truck.

"Don't get too naughty!" Rachel called out, and Chloe simply replied with an extended middle finger over her shoulder.

"Glad to see you're doing better." Max remarked as they entered the vehicle.

"Yeah, so am I. Thank you, by the way, for being there for me." Chloe gave Max a heartfelt smile and the other girl did the same.

"You don't need to thank me, Chlo. It was the least I could do." Chloe leaned over for a momentary kiss to show her appreciation.

"Come on." Chloe put the truck into drive and smirked. "I'll go buy you something at Two Whales."

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry this one took a little longer, but better late than never.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this one, leave your feedback in the comments.**

 **Stay awesome!**


	8. Replicants

**Chapter 8: Replicants**

Chloe and Max quietly chewed their food, but neither of the girls took their eyes off each other.

Chloe turned her head subtly so that the counter was in full view in her peripherals, and she carefully observed every movement of her mother.

 _Come on…_

Her fingers impatiently pattered against the table as she nibbled on her bacon strips, still watching attentively.

The moment that her mother entered the kitchen, Chloe dove forward and smashed her lips onto Max's, and the two met halfway.

She could tell that the customers around her were uncomfortable from the rather romantic scene that the two were creating, but her tongue and lips were too busy to care.

Chloe felt Max tap on her shoulder, and with the reflexes of a cat, she flew back into her chair, acting as if nothing had happened.

She noticed her mother exiting the kitchen into the main dining area, balancing two plates of food on her hands, oblivious to what had happened.

The two giggled, rather proud at their sneaky maneuver.

"You know, we can't keep this up forever." Max informed, but Chloe simply scoffed.

"Sure we can, just don't get caught." Max chuckled at Chloe's boldness.

"But seriously, do you _ever_ plan on telling your parents?" Max asked.

"Parent. Step-fuck doesn't count." Chloe scowled at the mere thought of her step-father.

"Fine, parent and step-fuck." Max corrected herself.

"I will, just not now." Chloe pouted at the reminder that she needed to come out to her parents sooner or later.

Despite having been in numerous relationships with other girls in her life, Chloe's parents had always assumed their daughter was straight, likely due to the fact that Chloe had lied to them by creating fake boyfriends.

Every one of her relationships hadn't been serious or deep enough to be worth coming out to her parents for, but Chloe was very certain on her sexuality.

With Max however, Chloe felt a truly serious and meaningful relationship bound to come in the future and already building, and it was something that she knew would be impossible to keep a secret for long. With both Rachel and Kate now being informed, it was only a matter of time.

After tossing in the final bite of her bacon, Chloe dumped a small handful of bills and change onto the table before standing up.

"Let's go." Chloe gestured Max to stand up, and she immediately obeyed.

"Where're we going?" Max asked as the two left the diner.

"Anywhere but here."

* * *

"You know, I never thought a junkyard would make such an amazing date spot." Max remarked as she shut the passenger door to Chloe's truck.

"Yep, doesn't this place just give off the most romantic vibes?" Chloe sarcastically said.

The gravel under her boots crunched as she sauntered past the front gate, and she inhaled a deep breath of the fresh air.

The two stepped into the center of the yard, and a tranquil silence split the air.

"Come here." Chloe whispered, and Max stepped into her arms.

They tenderly kissed as the cool breeze ran across their skin, flowing through their hair and making the moment more special.

It was heaven. Until a familiar voice shattered it into pieces.

"Wow, Price, didn't know you jumped the fence."

Chloe jumped and turned to see a smirking Frank Bowers, emerging from behind a pile of rusty cars with a cigarette between his lips.

"Jesus, Frank, you scared the shit out of me." Chloe said breathlessly. Frank chuckled.

"My bad, sorry to be a buzzkill. Please, continue." Frank smirked again and crossed his arms impishly, this time, reacted with an eye-roll from Chloe.

"Fucking perv. By the way, you sellin'?" Chloe asked playfully shoving Frank's shoulder.

"Always. Who's the mistress?" Frank pointed to a shy-looking Max, her head slightly hung down and avoiding eye contact.

"Honestly, I have no idea who this chick is." Chloe joked, and Max immediately darted her head up in confusion. Chloe shot her a wide smile. "This is Max. If you couldn't tell, she's my girlfriend."

"Nice to meet you, Max. Name's Frank Bowers." Frank held his hand out, and Max reluctantly shook it. Frank gave the brunette a friendly smile before turning his attention back to Chloe. "So how much?"

"The usual." Chloe casually replied as she retrieved a small wad of bills from her back pocket, passing it over to Frank's hand as he used his free one to pull out a small Ziploc bag containing an obvious green substance. "Gracias, amigo." Chloe jubilantly replied.

"No problem. You two have fun now." Frank turned to leave, sending off one last wave to the two.

Chloe turned back to face a rather overwhelmed Max, who had witnessed quite the scene.

"Don't worry, he's not a murderer or anything. He's a genuinely cool dude." Chloe explained before Max could speak.

"I…I guess he seems nice." Max replied.

"He is. If you take some time to get to know him, you'd hella love him." Chloe shoved her newly acquired pack of marijuana into her back pocket. "Anyways, where were we?"

* * *

Chloe exhaled a plume of smoke from her warm lips, letting the cool breeze from her open window to carry it out of her room.

It was moments like these that she enjoyed the most, with the exclusion of time with Max, where she lay on her bed, letting calm indie tunes soothe her, with the final touch of a joint between her lips.

It all made for amazing relaxation, and Chloe found herself drowning the world out for a few minutes.

She shifted her body to face her dresser, where a familiar photo of her and Max rested amidst a pile of clothes and papers.

She picked up the Polaroid and held it up to her face, admiring Max's smile painted by a morning light.

With her mind now completely set on her girlfriend, Chloe reached for her phone and began frantically tapping away at her keyboard.

 **Chloe: maaaaax baaaaaaabe**

 **Max: Hey Chlo**

 **Chloe: whatcha doooiiiin**

 **Max: Hooomewooork**

 **Chloe: i can help**

 **Max: It's photography hw**

 **Chloe: pfft, ez pz**

 **Max: Who photographed the famous "Falling Soldier"?**

 **Chloe: uhhhh**

 **Chloe: max caulfield**

 **Max: Yeah, I wish .**

 **Chloe: u want me to come over to keep u company?**

 **Max: Yes please, I need Chloe cuddles to keep me awake ;)**

 **Chloe: if u keep using emojis u can forget it**

 **Max: :'(**

 **Chloe: i will strangle u**

 **Max: Meh, still a cuddle**

 **Chloe: touche.**

Without skipping a beat, Chloe leapt to her feet and snatched her beanie and blazer before bolting out the door, impatiently speeding to Blackwell.

* * *

Chloe's excited hand tapped the door to Max's room and she put on a wide grin across her face as she waited for her girlfriend to answer.

As soon as the door swung open to reveal Max, Chloe threw herself onto the brunette and crashed her lips onto the other girl's.

Max, taken by surprise, lost her balance and toppled backwards, collapsing onto the ground with an animalistic Chloe on top of her.

The overwhelmed girl shrieked but gladly accepted the punk's colliding lips.

Chloe drew back, staring at Max with a devious grin. She gently grasped Max's throat with her hands, careful not to make it too firm.

"Uhh…what are you doing?" Max asked with a puzzled expression.

"Strangling you." Chloe responded mischievously. Max scoffed and grabbed Chloe's collar to pull her in for another kiss.

"Dork." It was all Max muttered as she ended the moment. Chloe chuckled.

Chloe rolled off her girlfriend and let her body land onto the carpet floor, and she spread her exhausted arms and legs out and stared at the ceiling.

Max stood up and dusted herself off, amused at the new punk extension to her carpet flooring.

"Get up, I don't wanna have to call Samuel to have him mop up a Chloe off my floor." Chloe scrunched her nose at Max's remark and reached her arms out to the other girl as a silent request to help her up.

Max simply groaned as she lazily obliged, grabbing Chloe's hands and pulling her up.

"Jesus, how much do you weigh?" Max whined as she used all her strength to lift Chloe up.

"A lot more than I look." Chloe winked as she dusted off her butt. "So how's the nerd-work comin' along?"

"I'm done." Max beamed proudly much to Chloe's surprise.

"Oh. Did you finish while I was on my way here?" Chloe asked.

"Nope. Finished about ten minutes before you texted me." Max impishly grinned and Chloe furrowed her brow.

"Then what gives? Why'd you ask me to come then?" Without a word, Max stepped forward and leaned up to kiss the taller girl.

"I missed ya." Max whispered. Chloe gave her an amused smile and chuckled.

"Damn, Max making the move on me for once. What the hell did they put in your cereal today?" Max playfully shoved Chloe's shoulder at her lame joke.

"Dork." Max bantered.

"Hippie." Chloe shot back.

"By the way, Warren got me more movies so I thought we could watch some of those." Max snapped open her laptop and inserted a flash drive into its USB socket, her eyes lighting up as the screen flashed to life.

"Damn, Warren's a better pirate than both of us combined." Max scoffed at the nostalgic remark, obviously referring to their pillaging adventures at the junkyard.

"Bullshit, no one's a better pirate than Cap'n Chloe and her faithful partner in crime Max." Max boasted her first mate status proudly, puffing her chest out and standing straight and stiff.

"You're so cute." Chloe giggled. "So what're we watching?" The punk stood next to Max and peered over onto the screen, her eyes widening at the vast archive of pirated movies, classics and newer titles alike.

 _Jesus Christ, it's like Hollywood took a shit onto a single flash drive._

"I don't know, what do you wanna see?" Max asked, slowly scrolling through the list to allow Chloe to scan it.

"Well, seems like I'm spoiled for choice, this list is fucking massive." Chloe's eyes darted across the screen, reading each of the titles that were either familiar, or completely unknown to her. Her focus settled on a single movie however, one that she loved since her childhood.

 _Holy shit, this thing has Blade Runner._

"Blade Runner." Chloe eagerly pointed to the name on the screen like a child picking out a toy at a toy store. Max furrowed her brow.

"Blade Runner? Never heard of it before." Max admitted.

"Then we have every reason to see it!" Chloe exclaimed excitedly. She frantically dragged her finger across the trackpad to double click the file. A media player popped onto the screen and immediately began displaying the film's opening credits.

"Wait." Max paused the video to Chloe's dismay. "I can't do this." A look of concern sparked on the punk' face.

"Why, what's wrong?"

Without speaking a word, Max picked up the laptop from the desk and strolled to her bed. She placed the device onto the bedsheets and laid down herself to a comfortable position. Then, with a smirk, she looked at Chloe and patted the bed to gesture her to join her.

Chloe rolled her eyes but obviously obeyed, shuffling so her body rested behind Max's. Her head peered over Max's shoulder, and her arms wrapped themselves around her waist.

"There. _Now_ I can watch." This time it was Max's turn to wink, and Chloe only groaned.

"You're such a fucking goofball." Chloe ruffled Max's hair, hitting the play button once more.

The two watched the movie in silence, and Chloe couldn't help but notice how amusing it was to observe Max more than the film itself.

The way her mouth was slightly ajar throughout the whole picture and how her eyes subtly, but noticeably widened at the more intriguing scenes was more entertaining to Chloe than the movie.

 _Easily the most satisfying thing I've ever seen._

Max turned her head around and noticed the locked eyes of Chloe, and immediately wondered what she was so captivating.

"Something wrong, Chlo?" She whispered. Chloe only smiled back.

"Not at all."

* * *

Chloe let out a loud yawn as she stretched her arms using whatever little room she had available to her on the tiny bed.

She squinted to allow her eyes to adjust to the morning light that breached through the exposed window.

The clock which sat on Max's desk read 8:13 AM, and Chloe let out a sharp exhale through her nose as she blinked rapidly.

The sound of a groggy moan drew her attention to the stirring figure cuddled next to her.

The punk leaned her head in to plant a small kiss on the back of Max's head, before she pulled the girl into an even closer snuggle.

"Mornin'." Chloe whispered.

"I hate you so much. You fell asleep halfway through the movie." Max's words came out as a drowsy mutter.

"I mean, Blade Runner's a nice movie to doze off to." Chloe excused.

"I can't even imagine you at a theater."

"Maybe you should take me to one and find out." Chloe blatantly hinted at a date and Max giggled.

"What time is it?" The question came out as she yawned and stretched her limbs.

"Just a little past eight. We got time to kill."

"Time to kill, you say?" Max turned her head around to face Chloe and revealed a devilish grin.

Max shifted her body around to face Chloe, and the two engaged in a kiss to wake each other up.

* * *

 _No. No. Nope. Nah. Nein. Fuck, none of this is good enough._

Chloe furiously ran her fingers through her hair as she individually scanned the long aisle of various cameras that sat neatly on the store shelf.

Her overly critical thinking assessed every one of the cameras to be inadequate for what she needed, and what she needed was the perfect birthday present for Max.

"Anything I can help you with?" Chloe jumped at the sudden voice from behind her, and she turned to be greeted by a smiling store employee. "Oh, sorry I scared you."

"Oh, uhm…"

 _What the fuck do I even ask him, I don't know jack shit about cameras._

"I'm trying to look for a birthday present for my girlfriend, but I don't know shit about photography." Chloe nervously laughed rubbed the back of her head.

"Ah, I think I can certainly help with that." The employee's face lit up with delight. "Does she own a camera right now?"

"Uhh, yeah, one of those instant ones that do Polaroids." Chloe made awkward hand gestures to mimic the snapping of a photo, cringing at the action.

"Well then, if you'll follow me to our instant camera aisle." The employee gestured Chloe to follow, where he lead her to the back of the store where an assortment of vintage looking instant cameras sat in organized fashion.

There was a wide selection of cameras in various shapes, sizes, and colours, but as Chloe evaluated each of them, she visualized what Max would look like holding it, but every one of the cameras didn't fit her image.

"Anything you like from here?" The employee asked. Chloe shook her head.

"I don't know. I mean, all these cameras look great, but…they don't fit her, if that makes _any_ sense." Chloe explained and the employee nodded.

"Totally get it. Well, you can keep looking around our store and see if anything catches your eye. If you need anything, I'll be at the counter so just holler." The employee gave a friendly smile which comforted Chloe and relieved some of the stresses of shopping.

"Thanks, umm…" Chloe squinted to read the small nametag on the employee's shirt. "…Andy." He chuckled.

"No problem." With that, Andy returned to the front counter, leaving Chloe once again on her own. She sighed, then pouted, still carefully observing each tiny detail of the cameras before her.

They all seemed like excellent cameras, but none of them were perfect, and that was what Chloe wanted to gift Max, the absolute perfect camera. None of them were 100%.

 _Fuck it._

Frustrated by the pressure and the indecision, Chloe stormed out of the shop, but still determined to find something.

* * *

Chloe's finger gradually scrolled down the mouse wheel and her eyes remained locked on the screen as she carefully read through the contents of Max's Facebook page.

She grew more and more frustrated at the lack of posts that could have contained potentially important information about her interests.

Chloe knew that Max was passionate about photography, but in terms of other obsessions, she had no clue, and it was hard to blame her for it given the short time the two had spent together so far.

She swapped over to Max's Twitter, praying for even a tiny hint as to what she could get her girlfriend as a present, but it was no use. Just as it was for her Facebook, her Twitter lacked her own personal posts as well, it seemed that Max was just not as active on social media as every other student was.

Chloe pouted her lip and just as she was about to close off and try her luck again at another camera store, her eye caught the attention of one post that Max had made not too recently.

 **Max Caulfield**

 **The new foals album is literally life goals. I NEEEED it. :( #broke**

 _Bingo._

She had hit the jackpot, and it wouldn't be long before Chloe would become the perfect girlfriend.

* * *

 **A/N: Hi, back with another chapter. Been a bit busy over the summer so writing has been slow, please bear with me.**

 **Let me know what you thought about this chapter, sorry if it feels a bit all over the place. :)**

 **Other than that, stay awesome!**


	9. Cakes, Candles, and Polaroids

**Chapter 9: Cakes, Candles, and Polaroids**

* * *

 **A/N: Your boss at work may not be so happy with this chapter's ending.**

* * *

 _Okay, do I have everything?_

Chloe carefully ensured that she had both items present in front of her.

 _I got the album and the card…_

She then frowned, not satisfied with what she had.

 _There's just something missing._

Despite the immense effort that Chloe had put into obtaining Max's present, including travelling to six different music shops to find an available copy of the album she desired, she still didn't feel like her gift was enough.

She contemplated for a moment, struggling to conceive a last-minute idea with a slight panic.

 _Okay Chloe, stay calm, I'm sure you can figure out something. I'll drive into town, maybe that'll spark something in my brain._

She searched the surface of her desk for her car keys, but was confounded to see that it wasn't where she thought she had left them.

Her head began darting around, frantically scanning the room while scratching her head.

 _Where the fuck did I…_

She began digging through her room, tossing away anything that wasn't her car keys in a panicked frenzy, eager to not waste time on finding an addition to Max's birthday gift.

As she threw about the contents of the small shelf near the corner of her room, she accidently knocked over a familiar and nostalgic relic of her past amidst her haste. Chloe immediately ceased her search and turned to find a dusty grey instant camera that now lay on the floor.

It was her father's, one that he had used to capture so many childhood moments many years ago. Now, it had been collecting dust and age through the many years of neglect.

The sight of the camera brought a swarm of memories into Chloe's brain, memories of her and her father making pancakes, painting messy pictures, or going on road trips.

It was more than enough to bring a tear to her eye, and it was at that moment she realized that she no longer needed to go find a hastily prepared extension to her gift, it was right there in front of her.

She brought her index finger to her eye, wiping the single tear that had formed. She brushed the dust off the surface of the camera, being struck by a wave of nostalgia as her skin made contact with the familiar touch of her father's camera.

Chloe sighed and placed the camera next to the other two items prepared for Max's birthday.

 _That's it. That's what was missing._

* * *

The sound of the blaring horn immediately grabbed the attention of Max who stood idly in the middle of the campus.

Despite being at a relative distance, Chloe was able to instantly recognize a wide smile across her girlfriend's face the moment she noticed the truck.

Max skipped down the steps and hopped into the passenger seat, and before she could say a word, Chloe dove in for a sweet kiss.

"Happy birthday." Chloe softly spoke, prompting Max to alter her expression to surprise.

"How'd you know it was my birthday?" Max asked, taken aback.

"Come on, you _really_ think I'm just gonna let your birthday pass without doing shit about it? You don't know me well enough." Chloe teased.

"Well, thanks for the wishes." Max paused for a moment before noticing a familiar impish grin on Chloe's face. "Chlo?"

"Yeah, babe?" Chloe replied, keeping her eyes on the road in front as she put the vehicle into drive.

"You didn't…do anything special for my birthday, did you?" Max asked, despite already knowing the answer just by looking at Chloe's expression.

"Maybe." The punk vaguely responded, much to Max's annoyance.

"Chloe!" Max groaned.

"What? Can't a girl do a little something for her girlfriend's birthday?"

"I mean, it's just…I don't like it when people do stuff for my birthday."

"How come?"

"I always feel like I'm just burdening someone to throw something massive just for one lousy day." Max sunk her head down in shame, and Chloe reached her hand out to gently stroke Max's back to comfort her.

"It's not just some 'lousy day', Max. It's the day when the world thought it needed someone completely perfect so it gave me you. I think that's worth celebrating." Max chuckled at Chloe's joke.

"Alright, I guess. Just so long as you didn't throw me some massive party or anything."

The remainder of the drive merely consisted of casual conversation; the usual 'how was school?' type questions that were normally asked after school hours.

The truck eventually veered onto the Price household driveway and the two exited the truck, Chloe particularly more excited than Max.

The punk threw open the front door and bolted up the steps, with Max casually following behind.

Chloe flew into her room and slammed the door shut much to Max's surprise.

"Chloe? What's going on?" Max asked from beyond the door, knocking on its surface.

"Just gimme a sec, I gotta set up the surprise." Chloe responded. She darted for her desk and snatched her three items; a neatly decorated birthday card, a formally wrapped present, and her father's instant camera.

Once her gifts were safely hidden behind her back, Chloe skipped back to the door and gingerly opened it with her free hand, only leaving it slightly ajar. She peeked her head out and saw a confused Max waiting and staring back at her.

"You good?" Max asked.

"Yep, come on in." Chloe beamed as she swung open the door to let her girlfriend enter. Max's eyes were drawn to Chloe's left arm which remained trapped behind her back.

The familiar mischievous grin was present on Chloe's face, which Max automatically knew it was a polarizing outcome of something either extremely exciting, or dangerously controversial, with no in between.

"What's behind your back?" Max asked, despite knowing that it was some form of present.

"Nooothing." Chloe teased.

"Chloe, come on, just tell me wha-" Before Max could finish her sentence, Chloe interrupted her by rapidly revealing a small wrapped case and holding it right in front of Max's eyes.

The sudden movement caught the girl by surprise, and she jumped back slightly as an instinct.

Max nervously grabbed the item, staring back at a wide grinned Chloe who waited for her reaction.

"What is this?" Max asked reluctantly.

"Just open it." Max began meticulously tearing apart the package, careful not to make a mess of wrapping paper to add to Chloe's already disorganized room.

The punk's smile stretched even further across her face as Max's eyes widened at the present that hid behind the bright pink wrapping paper.

Inside was a brand new copy of the Foals album 'Holy Fire' that Max desired so badly. Her jaw dropped initially, but it quickly turned to an overjoyed smile.

 _Boo yah! She likes it. Score one for Chloe._

"Chloe! How did you…what…I…" Max struggled to conceive full sentences, and Chloe howled with laughter.

"Twitter's amazing, isn't it?" Chloe beamed. Max's initial confusion turned to realization as she recalled her desperate tweet from a few months ago.

She leapt forward and tightly squeezed Chloe in a warm hug.

"Thank you so much." Her voice was muffled from under Chloe's shirt.

"Don't even mention it." Chloe softly replied. "Oh, I almost forgot." She handed Max the birthday card, and the girl's eyes lit up at the mere sight of it.

"I can't believe you-" Chloe hushed Max before she could continue.

"Just read it. Out loud." She pointed at the card, and Max simply obeyed.

"Dear hippie, I hope you like this present I got you, it wasn't easy. Ask the six different music shop clerks I had to talk to and you'll believe me." Max took a short pause to chuckle. "Anyways, I also wanted to thank you for being the best thing that's happened to me ever since my dad passed away." Her voice began to crack and become softer. "My life had taken a detour towards a shit pit ever since that happened, but ever since you came to Blackwell I've had every reason to wake up in the morning. I love you more than anything in the world. Love, your best friend and personal stoner, Chloe."

Max's eyes began to water and unwillingly, Chloe's eyes did the same. Once again the two hugged, but this time with tears running down their cheeks.

"Thank you." Max muttered. They drew back and stared into each other's eyes for a brief moment before they longingly kissed.

"Would you hate me if I said that I have one more present?" Chloe nervously chuckled.

"Chloe…" Before she could continue, Chloe revealed her last gift, this one not wrapped compared to the other.

In her hand was her father's camera, and the moment Max laid her eyes on it, she instantly fell in love.

"This…" Chloe wiped one final tear before she continued. "This was my real father's camera. It's yours now." She handed the camera to Max, who only stared at it in disbelief.

"Chloe…I can't take this." Max tried to push the gift back to Chloe, but the punk refused.

"No, you can. For the past five years I've had this, I was too afraid to use it 'cause I didn't want to be reminded of my dad. I kept it hidden away all this time and forgot about it. When I saw it, I knew it would be much better in your hands." Max's fingers began slowly wrapping themselves around the camera, already familiarizing the touch of the device.

"I…I don't know what to say…"

"Don't. My dad would've wanted me to use it, and if I wouldn't, I'm sure he'd trust you more than anyone else if he saw your work."

"It's perfect. Thank you." Max soaked in the camera's details, and her sheer concentration on the object showed Chloe just how much she appreciated it. Max leaned forward and passionately kissed Chloe as a romantic way of thanking her even further, and Chloe knew that her whole birthday plan for Max had worked beyond her doubts.

There was a momentary silence as the kiss ended, but Max was quick to break it.

"So, what now?"

"Now? Cake." Chloe gave Max a wide smile.

"You got me a cake too?"

"Of fucking course I did, what kind of birthday is it without cake?" Max seemed to grow anxious, likely due to how much Chloe had put into ensuring a perfect birthday for her.

Regardless, the brunette reluctantly followed Chloe into the kitchen where she was already digging through an upper cupboard while standing on a chair.

"You need help?" Max asked from behind.

"Nope, I'm totally fine." Chloe excitedly dragged out a box from the cupboard and gingerly stepped down from the chair with caution.

"I can't believe you did _all_ this just for me." Max guiltily scratched her head, still constantly worrying about the stress Chloe had gone through.

 _God, she's so considerate._

She placed the box in the center of the table beaming with pride and immediately began unpacking the cake within. Inside was a finely decorated chocolate cake coated in a thin layer of chocolate fudge and ornamented with spots of icing.

"Holy shit, that looks _amazing_! Did you make that?" Max asked with wide eyes.

"Me? Hell no. I make pancakes that are outta this world, but I can't bake for shit. This is all my mom's doing." Chloe admitted as she grabbed two clean plates from the cupboard.

"Drool. I _seriously_ need to thank your mom the next chance I get." Chloe turned around to see Max gently dipping her finger in the fudge and shoving it into her mouth. Chloe giggled at the rather childish action.

"Chill, Max, I'll get you a slice." Chloe tore open a small plastic package containing a colourful candle in the shape of the number '18'. She placed the adornment in the center of the cake as precisely as possible, and Max watched it all unfold.

With the lighter she typically used to light cigarettes, Chloe lit the candle and the decoration sparked into life, commencing the start of the celebrations.

"Ta daa." Chloe was pleased with herself, and her excitement heightened with every second she looked at Max. "Now, I think you know what time it is."

"Uhh, what?" Max looked back at Chloe with confusion. The punk cleared her throat.

"Happy birthday to you…" Chloe's voice began happily singing the iconic tune of 'Happy Birthday', and Max immediately began to cringe.

"Chloe, nooo." Max pleaded for it to end but Chloe continued in her song, clapping to the beat and leaning left to right in a cute dance.

Max's face blushed a bright red and she sunk her face into her hands, which only fueled Chloe even further.

"Happy Birthday to you…" Her song ended and she rapidly applauded and quietly cheered. "Now make a wish!"

Max's face rose back up from its hiding place in her palms and she took a moment to put some deep thought into her wish. Afterwards, she inhaled and released her breath, extinguishing the flame atop her cake and thus ending the celebration.

"So, what'd you wish for?" Chloe eagerly asked.

"I can't tell you, then it won't come true." Chloe rolled her eyes.

"Humble but superstitious. Interesting indeed."

Chloe began cutting generous slices of cake for Max's plate before she cut herself a slice as well.

Max impatiently began digging into the baked delicacy, and after the first bite she immediately moaned with pleasure.

"Your mom is a _goddess_ when it comes to desserts." Max praised with her mouth full of chocolate cake.

"I'm glad you like it. I was nervous that you wouldn't like chocolate." Max nearly choked after hearing Chloe's words before she gulped the cake down.

"Who _doesn't_ like chocolate?" Max asked in disbelief.

"Rachel, apparently." Chloe replied, shoving down a piece of cake into her mouth.

"I don't think Rachel and I can be friends anymore." Max joked and Chloe giggled.

"Welp, that about wraps up my appetite for today." Max laid her fork down as she beamed proudly at the spotless plate where her cake once was.

"Well you better hope it comes back because I made dinner plans." Max's jaw dropped once again at Chloe's words.

"How much did you plan for today?" She asked with a stunned expression.

"Don't worry, it's the dinner and that's it." Max sighed in relief. "Okay, maybe _one_ more thing."

"Oh come on, what now?" Max was flustered by the amount of effort and time that Chloe had put into celebrating her birthday. After all, this was the first time in many years that someone had done this much for her.

"Late night movie. They're playing Insidious: Chapter 2 at the theatre, so I thought we could go see that. I mean, you wanted to see what I was like at a theatre, right?" Chloe explained as she submerged the empty plates into the filled sink.

"A horror movie? I'm not really a huge fan…" Max rubbed the back of her neck anxiously.

"Don't worry, I'll be right beside you if you get scared." The words seemed to reassure Max. "Besides, we'll probably be making out for the whole thing so we'll miss the whole movie anyways." Chloe gave Max another one of her infamous impish winks.

* * *

The girls exited the theatre, with Chloe's arm wrapped around Max's waist. The brunette chewed down on her unfinished bag of popcorn, which was still half full since both girls had opted to taste each other's tongues instead of their snack.

Regardless, it was a memorable and exciting night for them, although the other movie-goers would have likely disagreed due to the uncomfortable nature of Chloe and Max's excessive kissing.

Chloe's phone read 12:27 AM, the night had descended to a pitch black with only the dim street lights illuminating the parking lot of the theatre.

They stopped next to the truck, both staring deeply into the starry night sky, basking in its shimmering beauty.

"So." Chloe finally broke the silence. "How would you rate your experience with Chloe's Birthday Adventures Incorporated?" Chloe joked.

"Enough to break your scale." Max returned. "Thanks. For everything. Today was…" Max was lost for words, struggling to conceive the appropriate vocabulary to describe her day.

"I know." Chloe responded to save Max the trouble of digging through her brain for words. "And that's only 'cause _you_ made today so amazing."

The two shared warm smiles under the ray of light from the street lamp directly above them, and although it didn't make for a typical attractive romantic scene, it was still appealing enough to kiss in.

With both of them tired from their night out, they entered the truck and returned to Blackwell in silence, allowing each other to enjoy the unexpectedly pleasant sights of an Arcadia Bay trapped under a night sky.

Chloe parked the truck by the campus, and her heart sunk as she realized this marked the end of her unforgettable day with Max. She only wished to cherish it further; rewind time to experience it all over again.

"I…guess this is it." Chloe said wistfully.

"You don't have to make it awkward, you can sleepover if you want." Chloe's melancholic eyes swiftly transitioned to bright and thrilled.

Without another word, she drove the truck into the Blackwell parking lot and parked it messily in one of the many empty spots.

She hopped out of the vehicle and grabbed Max's hand, sprinting towards the dormitories.

The girls skipped through the abandoned halls and into Max's room, where they quickly took advantage of the solitude and began kissing in the dimply lit room.

"Best. Birthday. Ever." Max softly spoke after the moment, and she tiredly smiled.

 _You did it Chloe, you're amazeballs._

"But as much as I want to stay up all night and passionately make out until my tongue falls off, I'm really tired and I don't think I could keep up with your energy." Max's body slouched forwards and she dolphin dived onto her bed.

Chloe followed and slid behind her closely, wrapping her arms around Max's waist and showering the back of her neck in quick kisses.

Max shifted her body around to face Chloe, and the two were locked in a gaze as they lay over the bed sheets, still soaking in everything they had experienced that day.

"I love you. You're so amazing." Max whispered and the words rushed through Chloe's ears like ecstasy.

They merged lips once again but this time with a surprising force.

When they parted, Chloe saw a fiery desire in Max's eyes, something that she had never seen from the girl before.

"Chloe…" The word spilled from Max's lips like a desperate call. Their lips crashed together once more, but this time it was rougher, more animalistic than before.

Chloe's hands began moving up Max's back, seductively feeling her shirt as her lips were occupied. Eventually, they moved down her lower back, before gently starting to lift the shirt up. However, she stopped herself in her tracks and left the kiss to Max's dismay.

"Wait. Max, are you sure you want to do this?" She asked, worried that she may have potentially misinterpreted her girlfriend's signals.

"Yes." Max's voice was breathless, helplessly begging for something with each syllable. "I want you."

Chloe nodded and resumed lifting up Max's shirt, carrying the clothing off and tossing it carelessly onto the floor.

She effortlessly did the same to herself, and before she knew it, they both lay next to each other in their bras.

They continued to ferociously kiss, moving their hands across each others' bodies.

Chloe's whole body began rushing with adrenaline, and she began to fulfill a dream that had been hiding in the back of her head for some time.

She eventually realized how desperately she wanted Max. Needed her. Longed for her.

She'd make this night count.

* * *

 **A/N: Well uhh…that just happened.**


	10. The Pit

**Chapter 10: The Pit**

Max awoke to the unfamiliar touch of her blankets on her skin across her entire body. She groaned but immediately gasped in shock once she lifted her bed sheets. She was naked.

Under the covers next to her lay the bare backside of another figure, and Max turned her head to see the rear of Chloe's head, her blue hair greeting her vibrantly.

 _It wasn't a dream. Holy. Fuck._

Max began recalling everything that had occurred last night. If understanding the night she had first kissed Chloe was compared to now, that night would be considered as a first grade math problem, while this was aerospace engineering.

The events began crashing down on her head like a tidal wave; the rush of ecstasy, the million different sensations she felt throughout her body, all caused by her own pirate captain.

It was surreal, and Max was left in utter disbelief. She pinched herself in the hip to be completely certain if she was dreaming and immediately winced in pain.

 _I'm definitely not dreaming._

The memories of last night were ones that she never had once imagined that she'd be reliving.

She began to get giddy, blushing at the recollection of the event.

Max then jumped at the sound of a groggy moan coming from beside her. She turned to see Chloe's body begin to stir awake, and her head began to subtly explore her surroundings.

Max held back giggles as she saw Chloe do exactly the same as she did when she awoke, lifting up the covers to see whether or not she was clothed.

Max took the opportunity to surprise her waking girlfriend, so she sunk her mouth onto Chloe's neck and sucked on it like a thirsty vampire.

Chloe chuckled at the wake-up call, and she turned around to face Max eye-to-eye.

"Hey you." Max softly greeted. Chloe leaned in and gave her a soft kiss. "Last night was…"

"Amazeballs? Out of this world? The greatest night of your life?" Chloe offered Max some suggestions to finish her sentence, and she giggled.

"Not _exactly_ what I was gonna say, but sure, we'll go with that."

Chloe rubbed her eyes and squinted to focus on the clock across the room.

"What time is it?" Max asked, still adjusting herself to the brightness of the morning light.

"Half past ten." Chloe informed.

"Ugh, we hella slept in." Max groaned.

"I love it when you say 'hella'" Chloe giggled and so did Max. "You know, for a virgin, you know your way around a girl." Max blushed at the rather sexual compliment.

"I just realized that I'm not a virgin anymore. God, if my parents found out my first time having sex was with another girl…" Max began imagining the various possible outcomes to the scenario, but given her paranoid nature, most of them consisted of furious yelling. "Good thing they're in Seattle." The fact brought some relief to Max, but she knew that telling her parents was inevitable. "We should probably get up." Chloe whined at Max's words.

"But I'm laaazyyy." The punk's complaints only prompted an eye roll from Max who was already leaving the bed.

Chloe's initial pout swiftly transitioned to a devilish smirk once Max was standing up and looking back, and the brunette was confused as to why.

"Hot." Chloe remarked. Max stared down and immediately realized why. She quickly ripped the sheets off from over Chloe and usedit to cover her naked body in embarrassment. The room was filled with Chloe's laughter and the blushing girl shyly hid her face with the blanket.

"Get dressed you dork." Max peeked from behind the sheets and saw her clothes lazily tossed by her feet on the floor. Chloe was already dressing herself, but Max couldn't help but watch her naked girlfriend fumble with her clothes.

 _Wowser. That's…_

"Max, you need to stop staring at me while I change." Max jumped at Chloe's voice.

"How did you…" Max was flustered, this obviously wasn't the first time Chloe had eyes on the back of her head.

"I just know these things. Now get dressed, ya perv." Chloe bantered as she clipped on her bra.

Embarrassed, Max picked up the clothes that Chloe had seemingly picked out for her; a t-shirt with an instant camera on it, her typical grey hoodie, and a pair of blue jeans, along with some underwear.

She shrugged and began getting dressed, obviously not complaining at the choice of fashion since it wasn't something she much cared for.

By the time Max had thrown on her hoodie, Chloe was already fully clothed in the attire she had worn yesterday.

"Can we hurry? I don't wanna be in these stank clothes any longer." Chloe complained.

"Why don't you try some of my clothes?" Chloe scoffed at Max's offer.

"Okay, first of all, there's no way I'd fit, and second, I have a reputation to live up to. Hippie is not part of that." Max rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, your loss. Anyways, I need a shower." Max reached over and retrieved her small bag of shower supplies.

"You want me to wait here again?" Chloe asked, and Max immediately noticed her girlfriend's eyes being drawn to her guitar.

"Obviously. I'll be quick." With that, Max left the room and headed for the showers, where she was greeted by Kate brushing her teeth at the sinks.

"Morning, Kate." Max waved, and Kate turned and smiled with her toothbrush still in her mouth. She spat into the sink to greet back.

"Hey, Max. How was your birthday?" Kate asked.

"Amazing. Chloe had all these surprises set up for me; she got me the new Foals album." Kate's eyes widened and she became giddy.

"Ooh! You're inviting me sometime to listen, no buts." Max giggled.

"Of course."

"What else?" Kate continued.

"Well, she gave me her father's old instant camera. I still can't get over how sweet that was." Recalling the emotional moment almost brought a tear to Max's eye, but she held it back.

"Oh gosh, that _is_ so sweet of her. I heard about her father from Rachel. It's so sad." Kate frowned at the thought.

"I know. I'm gonna take _extra_ good care of it. I can't wait to try it out, I bet I could take some cool shots." Max imagined the thought of framing all sorts of great landscape shots with her new camera, but she especially looked forward to photographing the junkyard once again.

"I _know_ you can, Max. By the way, everything going alright with Chloe?" Kate asked before rinsing her mouth with water.

"I think 'alright' is an understatement. I've never been more happy." Max smiled.

"That's so amazing to hear, Max, I'm so happy for you. Anyways, I need to get back to my room, I'll see you later." Kate picked up her toothbrush and waved goodbye to Max who did the same.

 _Okay, let's hit the showers now, don't wanna keep Chloe waiting for too long. Oh, my poor guitar._

Max removed her clothes and entered one of the empty stalls, and quickly, she began to cleanse her body as she routinely did every morning.

Once she finished, she made her way back down the hall towards her room, where expectedly, she heard the faint sound of guitar strings being played from behind the door.

Max giggled then entered the room, where she saw Chloe concentrating hard on the strings of her guitar with her tongue sticking out, gingerly plucking each string to see if they made an audible noise.

"How's it going there, Jimi Hendrix?" Max joked to get Chloe's attention. "What're you playing this time?"

"Uhh…I actually have no idea, to be honest." Chloe admitted.

"Since it's the weekend, I could teach you a couple things if you'd like."

"Thanks, but I got plans with Rachel today, sorry." Max frowned once she heard the news, but she obviously didn't want to display her disapproval.

"Actually, you can come with if you want." Max's eyes lit up at Chloe's offer.

"Sure, what're you guys doing?"

"We're gonna-actually, you'll see." Chloe gently rested the guitar down and leapt to her feet. "Let's go."

* * *

"This is what you kept a secret? Two Whales?" Max felt disappointed as Chloe pulled over next to the familiar sight of the diner.

"Chill, I just need to pick up Rachel here." Chloe honked the horn rapidly three times in quick succession, and seconds later, Rachel emerged from inside and hopped inside.

"Alright, let's go get wast-Holy shit, hey Max." Rachel was caught by surprise as she saw Max sitting comfortable in the center of the seat.

"Hey, Rach." Max nervously waved at the girl.

"She comin' with?" Chloe nodded at Rachel's question.

"I haven't told her where we're going though." Chloe confessed to Max's annoyance; she was still desperately curious.

"You little devil. Has she ever been to one?" Rachel asked, maintaining the vagueness.

"I'm pretty sure she hasn't, we'll find out soon enough." With that, Rachel hopped into the empty seat so that Max was now sandwiched in between the two other girls.

The truck accelerated and began cruising down the tranquil streets of Arcadia Bay, and Rachel was quick to start conversation.

"So, I need deets on you two."

"Dammit, I knew you'd start with this." Chloe rolled her eyes.

"Well, I'm sorry, but I needs ta know, girl!" Rachel pleaded. "So, talk!"

"What do you mean by 'talk'?" Max asked, reluctant on speaking due to how vague the question was.

"Fine, lemme help. First date. Tell me 'bout that." Max just sat speechless, looking back at Chloe looking for salvation.

"We went to Two Whales, ran into Queen Bitch Victoria," Rachel scowled at the mere mentioning of Victoria's name. "Then we went to the junkyard had some photo fun with Max's rad photography skills." Rachel's eyes widened.

"You went to the junkyard?" Rachel asked, but Max was unsure to whom she was asking to, her eyes darted back and forth between both her and Chloe.

"Hell yeah. Don't know why, place just came to mind." Chloe lightly shrugged.

"Did you like it?" This time it was clear Rachel was asking Max.

"Oh yeah, that place is _perfect_ for taking some great shots. I love going there." Rachel fist pumped joyously.

"I swear, all the photography chicks dig American Rust, it's uncanny." Rachel threw her hands up in excitement.

Max was beginning to grow impatient, the truck was now far gone from Arcadia Bay's limits, and given Max's inexperience outside the town, the roads around her were worryingly unfamiliar.

"Guys, where are we going?" Max scanned the passing surroundings out the window past Rachel's head. Dense forests surrounded the narrow roads that the truck travelled down, and though it made for some enjoyable scenery, the lack of recognizable sights continued to concern Max.

 _I think I'm being kidnapped by my own girlfriend and her crazy sidekick. HELP!_

"Shh, babe. We're almost there." Chloe patted her girlfriend lightly on the head.

Max pouted, but gave up in trying to dispute. She would just need to be patient to find out what this amazing secret that Rachel and Chloe kept from her was. Unfortunately, patience wasn't her strong suit, but curiosity was. Obviously, this wasn't the best pair of personality traits to carry in this situation.

After what seemed like eons of rapidly tapping her fingers in wait, the truck pulled out of the thick forest and into a clearing that was occupied by what seemed to be a vast abandoned sawmill.

Despite the evident neglect the building had seen, the area was bustling with crowds of punk rockers boasting vibrant tank tops, t-shirts, and tattered jeans.

 _Oh my dog, I think I found Chloe's natural habitat._

The car veered into the packed parking lot, and as soon as Chloe switched off the engine, the two girls next to Max bolted out of the vehicle to join the masses.

"Max, come on, let's go!" Chloe excitedly reached her hand out towards Max, and despite the uncertainty festering in her mind, she reluctantly accepted Chloe's hand and exited the truck.

"Chloe, are we at a mosh pit?" Max anxiously questioned as she was tugged along by her enthusiastic girlfriend towards the crowds.

"No. Not yet we aren't."

"What do you mean?"

"Okay, might as well break it to you now. We're going to see Firewalk." Chloe beamed excitedly, but Max was left dazed and confused.

"I have no idea what that is."

"Max, Rachel and I fucking _love_ this band. They're having a concert here tonight, and it was all she and I were looking forward to this year!"

"Tonight? Then why are we here so early?"

"'Cause everyone here is impatient and can't wait to have their fix of booze and weed. This is just a pre-concert party."

Max's shy nature was beginning to kick in. Parties and mosh pits were far beyond her comfort zone and her social awkwardness had already begun to take over. She felt out of place, somewhere she wasn't supposed to be. While everyone around her, including Chloe and Rachel were dressed in punk rock attire, Max was still stuck in her generic t-shirt and hoodie.

 _These people probably think I got lost or something. This is sooo humiliating._

"Chloe, these people are the polar opposite of who I'm used to! I don't fit in at _all_!"

"With me you do. Just trust me, as long as you stick with me, you'll be hella cool." Chloe held out a reassuring hand in front of Max.

 _Come on Max, it's Chloe. If it were anyone else, you'd_ walk _back to Arcadia Bay. I mean, you're young! Go out and do something fun with your life instead of take selfies every morning. I am going to hate myself for this._

Knowing that she would likely end up regretting her decision, Max hesitantly grabbed Chloe's hand with a tenacious grip, holding on for dear life.

The two merged into the forming crowd that had gathered to enter the building where the real party had emerged. Chloe seemed to be intent on getting inside.

The two dodged their way through the cluster of people and Max felt herself getting suffocated by the stench of alcohol, marijuana, and sweat. She held her breath as she waded through the ocean of party-goers and she eventually squeezed herself out and into a completely different scene.

She had emerged into the interior of the sawmill, but it had been completely refurnished and redecorated to better suit the tastes of the punk rock lifestyle. Graffiti, posters, and vulgar trinkets lined the walls while broken bottles and tattered shirts were strewn across the aged wooden floor. At the end of the room was a bar that had been set up to cater to the flooding demand for alcohol, and the limited number of tables and seats that were available in the building were already occupied by completely wasted individuals.

 _This was a bad idea. This was a bad idea. This was a_ bad _idea._

"There you two are! I've been waiting forever!" Rachel placed her hands on her hips in a sassy manner as Chloe and Max brushed themselves off.

"We came in literally _seconds_ after you." Chloe disputed.

"Well, I'm an impatient bitch. Deal with it, Price." Chloe simply rolled her eyes.

"Guys, I hate to bring this up but…I don't have a ticket." Max shyly raised her hand to attract the attention of the other two.

"No worries, the security here are hella lazy and really couldn't give a shit. That crowd we just went through was the ticket line." Chloe pointed back out the door at the more unfortunate people that were trapped outside, waiting to be granted entry.

"So I just got in here without a ticket?" Max asked.

"No, _we_ just got in here without a ticket." Chloe pointed at both herself and Rachel.

"Hmm, we need to do something about Max's clothes." Rachel gestured towards Max who stood awkwardly.

"Rach, I'm sure it's fine." Chloe excused, but Rachel was set to argue.

"Trust me, if anyone sees her like this tonight, they'll eat her alive. Think of this as me saving your life, Max." Rachel grabbed Max by the wrist and took her to a van that had parked in an opening in the sawmill wall. Next to it stood a long haired bearded man staring at his phone.

"Yo, you sellin'?" Rachel got the attention of the man, whose eyes were immediately taken away from his device.

"Yeah. What do you want?" His tone was rather impatient, but he seemed intent on earning some quick money so he attempted to hide it as best he could. Regardless, it was still rather obvious that he would have preferred to be anywhere else.

Inside the van was an entire clothing store for punk rockers compacted into a vehicle.

Shirts, jeans, jackets, and even studded bracelets and necklaces were neatly hung inside the back, all available for purchase.

The majority of shirts were Firewalk merchandise, but despite the limited choice in styles, Rachel was quick to jump into fashionista mode.

She intricately picked out an assortment of clothes, and Max could only watch anxiously, wondering if she would actually have to walk around wearing such forbidden clothing.

It was sacrilegious to the hipster culture to don such styled wear, and Max was mentally biting her nails in reluctance.

"Perfect." Rachel's arms were loaded with an entire getup of clothes, and she shoved them to Max. "How much?"

The man counted the items in Max's hands one by one, mentally calculating the final costs.

"95 bucks." Max's jaw fell at the price.

"Wait, Rachel. You're not seriously gonna drop a hundred bucks for me, right?"

"Not a hundred bucks, 95." Rachel winked as she handed the bearded man a small bundle of bills.

"Whoa, wait!" Max held her arm out to argue, but Rachel hushed her.

"Max, chill. It's fine. I have stacks to spend and I'm perfectly happy with spending some on you. Besides, I've really wanted to see you in punk form."

"But…"

"No buts. There's a bathroom down there, go change." Rachel pointed roughly towards the back of the room and hurried Max to go.

Max looked back at Chloe for assurance, and expectedly, her girlfriend nodded with a smile.

 _Knew it. Bad idea._

However, Max felt a hint of curiosity similar to Rachel's in the back of her head. She had once wondered how she would look like if she wore Chloe's style, and this was a good opportunity to find out.

 _I guess it wouldn't hurt. It's just clothes, right? It's not like they'll eat me or something._

She gingerly approached the bathroom and entered the cramped space. An unidentifiable stench flooded her nose and she tried her best to ignore it.

She held the clothes in front of her, examining just what Rachel had bought her.

Before her was a black t-shirt branded with the Firewalk logo, a pair of tattered jeans, and a black hoodie with studs on its shoulder pads.

 _I mean…it's still a t-shirt and hoodie…it's what you wear everyday anyways._

Max gave a look of disgust at the clothes, but at the same time her curiosity began overwhelming her.

 _Screw it._

Max switched out of her clothes and into her new outfit as swiftly as possible as an effort to get out of the reeking restroom as soon as possible. Once she was complete her make-over, she examined herself in the mirror.

The outfit didn't suit her. Her shy, freckled face seemed unfitting when paired with the studded hoodie and ripped jeans. As well, to top it all off, Rachel had purchased a studded bracelet as well, so Max reluctantly put it on as to not disappoint.

She rotated her body right and left, observing this new look for herself with a skeptical attitude.

However, she then visualized herself with dyed hair, piercings, and tattoos, and the image finally fell into place. Oddly, she felt tempted to transform herself this way, to convert herself to the ways of the punk.

 _Jesus, Max. Chloe's_ really _turning you to the dark side, huh?_

She giggled to herself. At the thought of Chloe, her confidence rocketed up and she felt ready to take on this new crowd.

Max took a deep breath and emerged from the bathroom, scanning the room for Rachel and Chloe with her old clothes awkwardly in her hands.

Expectedly, they were already at the bar, chatting away as they waited for Max to return.

Chloe's eyes caught Max in their peripherals, and she had to do a double take to confirm what she had briefly glimpsed. Chloe's eyes widened and her jaw was agape, and Max felt as if she had just made her girlfriend's dreams come true.

Rachel turned her head to Max's direction to see what Chloe was looking at, and when she noticed Max 2.0, a proud grin took over her face.

"Yes, yes, and hella yes!" Rachel shrieked with glee as she leapt up from her barstool and approached Max.

The brunette stood shyly in her new outfit, hoping that at least Chloe would approve.

"Do…do I look okay?" Max nervously asked.

"Uhh, did you not hear me say 'Yes, yes, and hella yes'?" Rachel proudly observed her new creation, admiring her choice of clothes for someone like Max; subtle, yet still evident of punk style.

Past Rachel's head, Max's eyes met with Chloe's, who had been staring with her jaw collapsed ever since Max had come out from the restroom.

"You think I look okay, Chlo?" Max asked timidly. Chloe just continued staring with her stunned expression for another moment.

"I think I have a lady boner." The punk finally muttered, sparking laughter from Rachel, but a nervous chuckle from Max.

"Is that good?" Max was still left uncertain, wondering if she should have just locked herself in the bathroom until the concert was over.

"Of fucking course it is." Chloe stood up from her barstool to get a closer and more intimate look at her girlfriend's new look. "A couple tats and piercings and you'll be a full-time thrasher in no time." She smiled and Max did too once she heard her girlfriend's approval. Chloe leaned into Max's ear and softly whispered. "You look so fucking hot I wanna go down on you right now." She drew back and gave one final mischievous glance at Max while biting her lower lip.

A chill was sent up Max's spine and she blushed. She felt slightly aroused and couldn't help but imagine the scene of Chloe pouncing on her right there next to the bar.

"Uhh, Max, you okay?" Rachel waved her hand in front of the dazed girl's face to no avail. "What the fuck did you whisper to her, she's on a different planet." Chloe merely smirked. "Max!"

"Huh? Sorry, what were you saying?" Max snapped out of her thoughts and looked back at Rachel.

"You okay, girl? What the hell did Chloe say?"

"Uhh…nothing." Max looked back at Chloe only to see her casually looking elsewhere and pretending as if she wasn't there.

"Okaaayy, whatever. Anyways, you fit it now so we can get fucking wasted!" Rachel exclaimed. "Come on gals, party's this way." Rachel beckoned the other two girls towards a doorway that led into what seemed like another wide open room, so when Max saw Chloe hop up and walk over she naturally followed.

The entrance led into what seemed to be the main concert stage; there was a sizeable floor that seemed ideal for a mosh pit as well as a makeshift stage for the band to perform on. Max visualized the arena being packed with concert-goers thrashing their heads and raving while being packed together in such a confined space, and Max would be somewhere within that crowd.

Another chill ran up Max's spine, but this time it was from fear and anxiety.

The floor was populated by a less densely packed crowd that was divided into separate groups, each occupied by various tasks, most of which included alcohol and drugs.

Rachel led the group to an empty spot near the corner and she sat down and immediately settled in.

"Fuck, I forgot my beer back at the bar. Try not to get too naughty while I'm gone." Chloe halted Rachel just before she left.

"Can you take Max's clothes back to the truck while you're gone?" She tossed Rachel the keys to the car and the girl simply rolled her eyes and agreed. Rachel left back towards the bar with a wink, leaving Max and Chloe alone.

Once Rachel was gone from her sight, Chloe mashed her lips onto Max's, taking the girl by surprise as she usually did.

The kiss was rough, aggressive, full of desire.

Chloe only partially drew back so that their noses still touched.

"Wish we didn't have to be in a public space." Max's face flushed red again as she was sucked back into Chloe's lips. "You have no idea how much I've _dreamed_ of you wearing clothes like this. You're making my legs shaky."

"I'm…I'm glad you liked it…" Max breathlessly spoke through shivering lips before she was once again dragged into Chloe.

"For fucks sake, you two!" Rachel's voice from behind made Max jump. "What did I say when I left?" Chloe rolled her eyes and flipped Rachel the bird. "Now I can't leave you two alone without having to worry about you guys getting arrested for public indecency."

The following few hours consisted of light-hearted conversation between the three, mostly Rachel pestering Chloe and Max about their evolving relationship.

Rachel downed a few beers as they talked and Chloe had no choice but to not drink due to her role as the designated driver. Max, on the other hand, rejected the alcohol which she absolutely despised, but she obviously didn't express her dislike towards the beverage violently.

Eventually, Max started to get into the swing of the conversation, occasionally telling jokes and laughing along, and soon enough, she was telling tales of her own; most of which involved her adventures in Seattle.

"That'd be a great place to go someday." Rachel dreamed of driving an RV into the city and observing the Space Needle up close.

"You putting off our trip to Portland, Rach?" Chloe leaned back with a hand on her chest as a sarcastic sign of offense.

"We'll still go, chill." Rachel promised.

"Wait, you guys are gonna go to Portland?" Max curiously asked.

"Hoping. Rach and I planned it around the time we first met. Started as a joke but evolved into a pretty decent idea."

"What's getting in your way?"

"Well, for starters, school exists. Rachel won't dare leave Arcadia without her precious honor roll degree from Blackhell. Secondly, we're broke as fuck."

"Well, she is." Rachel pointed at Chloe. "My dad seems to be willing to _throw_ money at me for anything _but_ leaving town."

"Yeah, so we've been thinking of ways to scrape up some quick cash."

"I see." Max hung her head in worry.

 _She wouldn't just leave me, right?_

"Max, I'm not just gonna leave you." Chloe seemed to have read her mind. It appeared that her face had made it quite obvious as to what was going on in her head.

"What? I…I wasn't thinking that."

"You hella were. Of course you'd come with us." Max's eyes lit up.

Before their conversation could resume, an unfamiliar voice interrupted them from behind.

"Excuse me ladies?" They turned around to see three rather attractive men standing over them, all of them seemingly their age, no older than their early twenties. "My friends and I were just wondering if we could join in with you guys and share some beers maybe?" He had sleek dirty blonde hair and a piercing in his left ear, while one behind him had shorter brown hair and a growing beard, with the last one boasting a faux hawk and a nose piercing. A sleeve tattoo was visible on his right arm.

"Yeah, sure, why not?" Rachel invited the three to sit down.

"Sweet. So this your first time here?" The blonde one asked before taking a quick swig of his beer.

"Not for me and her," Chloe pointed at herself and Rachel. "but for this young padawan, it's her first mosh pit." Chloe patted Max's head.

"We've been to mosh pits a plenty. Vincent here's been attending them since he learned how to walk." The brown haired one pointed back at the one with the tattoo sleeve.

"Shit, where are our manners, I guess we should introduce ourselves. I'm Adrian," The brown haired one greeted. "that's obviously Vincent, but we call him Vinnie," The tattooed arm was raised in a light salute. "and this gorgeous hunk of a man is Carson." The blonde haired one raised up his central finger at Adrian's sarcasm.

"Cool. I'm Chloe, that mess over there is Rachel, and this shy little bunny is Max." Chloe introduced the group respectively.

"Awesome. So you girls from around here?" Carson asked.

"Nah, we live about an hour's drive from here. Just came down to see Firewalk." Chloe replied.

"Nice. We were just cruising through Oregon this fall and thought we'd take a chance to thrash."

"Just how we live, we hear about a pit, count us there." Vinnie proudly remarked.

"Respectable." Rachel nodded in agreement for such a lifestyle.

"So where exactly are you gals from?" Carson asked.

"Small town north-west of here called Arcadia Bay. It's where we go to school." Chloe responded, pointing in the direction of home.

"Oh, that's where that fancy art school is, isn't it?" Vinnie recalled.

"Yeah, Blackwell Academy." Chloe confirmed.

"My brother went there."

"What does he do?"

"He does photography." Chloe's eyes lit up and Max's attention to the conversation was heightened.

"Well, we happen to have our very own star behind a camera right here." Chloe placed her hand on Max's shoulder.

"That's awesome. What kind of shots do you take?" Vinnie turned his eyes to the shy brunette.

"Uhm…I just capture whatever catches my eye. I don't really like to restrict myself to one subject." Max nervously explained, slightly balling herself up.

"Respect. My brother does model shoots. Like, for fashion and shit."

"Hey Rach, maybe he should take shots of you." Rachel sent Chloe the clear distasteful gesture of the middle finger.

"You a model?" Carson asked.

"Trying to be." Rachel humbly replied.

"Well, you definitely look the part. You're real pretty." The blonde flirtatiously complimented and Rachel gave him a simple 'thanks'.

"So, Max is a photographer and Rachel here's a model. What do you do, Chloe?" Adrian's question brought a moment of contemplation upon Chloe.

"I uhh…Not gonna lie to you, I have no fucking clue right now." Chloe admitted.

"Well, what do you like to do?"

"I used to love a lot of things. Drawing, skateboarding, manga. Right now, I don't really know."

"How come you don't like that stuff anymore?" Max could notice a pang of hurt in Chloe's eyes.

 _It's 'cause of her father. Poor Chloe…_

"I uhh…I don't really like talking about it." Chloe seemed to be trying to hide her sorrow, but her trembling voice made it evident that it hurt to even think about her father.

"That's cool, didn't mean to put you on the spot, sorry." Adrian rubbed the back of his head.

"It's hella cool. Uhh, what were we talking about?" Chloe's voice returned to normal. "Oh right, my future. Uhh, I mean, I know my way around an engine."

"Hey, maybe you could be a mechanic." Carson suggested. "Vinnie's an engine guru. Genius under the hood."

"Maybe I could, never thought about it." Chloe held her head up in thought. "You a mechanic, Vinnie?"

"Nah, I'm a barista at the moment, but I got a project car in the works."

"Awesomesauce. What ride?" Chloe asked.

"'70 Chevelle SS. Beautiful machine." Chloe let out an 'ooh' of approval. "7.4 litres and it runs about 380 horsepower give or take a few. Haven't done a proper dyno test in a-"

"Okay, that's enough geeking out about cars. Can we move onto something we can _all_ talk about?" Adrian interrupted the brief conversation to Vinnie's annoyance.

"So what're you girls doing after the show? If you're not too busy we could go for some drinks." Carson offered.

"That sounds great, but I don't know if Max would be okay with that." Rachel looked over at the girl in question.

"Oh, uh…That's okay, it's not like I have to drink or anything." Max nervously chuckled.

"You don't drink?" Adrian asked.

"Uhh, yeah. In fact, I don't really do any of this." She gestured to her surroundings. "Parties and raves aren't really my thing." The three seemed confused. Max's outfit seemed to contradict what she was explaining.

"Really? Then why are you here, not to sound rude."

"Max has never been to a mosh pit before, so I decided to bring her along to this one." Chloe explained, erasing most of the confusion from the three guys.

"Yeah, without my consent." Max joked.

"Then I'm gonna guess the getup's your work too?" Adrian gestured to Max's outfit.

"Not me. That was Rach's masterpiece." Rachel bowed her head slightly for acknowledgement.

"Well you certainly had us fooled." Carson chuckled. "So this is all new to you, Max?"

"Yeah…and waaayy out of my comfort zone." Max softly admitted.

"It's fine, there's a first for everything. I remember Adrian's first mosh pit." The three men laughed at the memory, leaving the girls confused and out of the loop.

"Sorry, don't wanna get into _too_ much detail, but let's just say it wasn't the best night for Adrian to try beer for the first time." Chloe and Rachel giggled and the implication, and unexpectedly, Max let out a sharp chuckle herself.

"Anyways, if it's alright, I kinda wanna move onto Max." Adrian's mention startled the girl. "I'm interested to hear what else you're into, besides photography and all that."

"I uhh…" Max's social awkwardness came into play and she felt rather anxious.

"I mean, we know Chloe and Rachel here are hardcore punks at heart so we probably share their pastimes. I wanna know what type of stuff you like to do, if you're okay with me asking."

It was discomforting, having five pairs of eyes trained on her at one moment. She felt rather overwhelmed by it all.

"I uhm…I like to…doodle…I guess…" It was the first thing that came to mind, and the thought of her sketching pictures of Chloe in her notebook immediately entered her head.

"Oh, uhm. That's cool. You uhh, you draw anything in particular?"

 _Yeah, you're definitely not telling him you spend classes drawing countless doodles of your girlfriend. Not even Chloe knows that._

"Just…stuff I see. Whatever comes to mind." She nervously chuckled.

"Sounds fun. Hey, You look a bit pale, you okay?" Adrian asked, slightly leaning in.

"Oh, yeah. Just uhh…the air. Not used to it." It was obviously an excuse. Just anything to help her escape the situation.

"Oh shit, you wanna go outside, maybe get some fresh air?"

"Uhh, yeah." Max felt it was a good opportunity to relieve her nose of the stench of alcohol and weed.

"I'll come with you." Adrian stood up as Max did, but she didn't feel the need to refuse his offer.

"Maxaroni, you want me to come?" Chloe began to stand up with a look of concern on her face.

 _Shit, if she sees me chicken out like this, she'll be totally disappointed by me. No way._

"No, it's totally fine. I'll be okay, be back in a sec." Max's tone remained casual and slightly upbeat.

With her new escort, Max sauntered out of the sawmill and immediately inhaled a deep breath of fresh air.

 _Breathe, nose! Breeaaathe!_

"You doing okay?" Adrian asked with a look of worry.

"Yeah, totally fine." Max sent him a reassuring smile.

"Cool. Just don't want you to be in a spot that you don't wanna be in."

"Thanks." As Max began huffing in breaths of air to refresh her lungs, she noticed Adrian blatantly staring at her in her peripherals.

"Uhh, is something wrong?" She asked.

"No, not at all." He began stepping closer towards Max, slowly backing her into the tailgate of a parked SUV. Adrian had eventually closed into Max, compromising her into a rather intimate position. "I just think you're absolutely gorgeous." His voice was a seductive whisper, and Max immediately began searching for exit routes.

"Adrian, stop. I…" Max began to argue, but the dominant man began to close his face into hers.

"It's cool, Max." His words were more creepy than they were comforting. His hands trailed up to her hips and began grazing her body.

"Hey! Get your hands off my girlfriend, you fucking freak!" A familiar voice came from the distance, and Max noticed a touch of blue sprinting towards her past Adrian's head.

'Girlfriend…Oh fuck." His attitude quickly transitioned to embarrassed and guilty, but before he could apologize, Chloe grabbed him by his shirt and ripped him off of Max. "I didn't…I'm sorry!"

"You didn't know? You still don't fucking pressure her like that, creep!" Chloe defiantly stood between Adrian and Max, asserting her dominance in the situation.

"I didn't mean to…"

"Max, you okay, babe?" Chloe swiftly turned her attention to her startled girlfriend and placed her hand on her cheek.

"I'm good, just a bit freaked out." Max cleared her throat. "Thanks."

"What the fuck is going on?!" Behind them, the rest of the group had followed them to the parking lot.

"Your perverted bro pal here was laying his hands all over my fucking girlfriend!" Chloe's voice was impressively able to alternate from a reassuring soft tone to a furious roar.

"Adrian? What the fuck, man?!" Carson surprisingly was against his own friend.

"Hey! I didn't know they were a thing, okay?!" Adrian argued, but Chloe was having none of it.

"You don't just make a move on her like that, dude!"

"Dude, not fucking cool. Ever tried just talking to the girl?" Vincent joined in. It was five against one. "Hey, Max. This asshat didn't hurt you or nothing, right?"

"No, he was just trying to kiss me."

"The fuck were you thinking?" Carson began stomping closer to Adrian, pushing him back.

"Hey, I thought that she'd like it!" Adrian disputed.

"Did it fucking look like I liked it? Max jumped in to defend herself.

"Adrian, maybe you should just go back to the car or something." Vinnie suggested, but Adrian threw his hands up in frustration.

"Come on, guys! We're friends!"

"We are, but that wasn't okay. We'll talk about this later." The group began making their way back to the sawmill and Adrian was just left to watch his best friends and previously potential friends leave him behind.

"Hey, I'm really sorry about that. I don't know what got into him, he's never done that kind of shit before." Vinnie apologized on Adrian's behalf.

"It's cool. That just freaked me out a bit." Max's heart rate began to calm down.

"We'll talk to him after the show. I think he needs to cool off a bit." Carson said.

The gang walked back to their spot with Chloe having her arm wrapped around Max's shoulders.

"Listen, you should know that Adrian wasn't the only one who was planning to make a move on you girls." Carson admitted nervously. "In fact, the three of us were interested in getting your numbers. But trust me, Vin and I would have never even _thought_ of jumping in straight like that, it's not us."

"Totally. We had no idea that you two were a couple, and if we knew, we'd back the fuck up." Vinnie tried to back Carson up, hoping that the girls would be able to forgive them for this whole situation.

"Don't worry about it, we didn't tell you." Chloe raised her hand up to assure them.

"Glad it's water under the bridge. Hey, we'd still love to be your friends. You guys seem like really cool folks and we'd still be willing to take you three out for that drink we talked about. It's cool if you don't want to anymore, though." Carson offered politely.

"Don't be crazy, we'd still love to." Rachel looked back at Chloe and Max and the two nodded in agreement.

"Awesome. We'll just have to drop Adrian off back at the motel. There's no way we're letting him near you girls after what happened." Vinnie scowled.

"Man, imagine what he would've done if you hadn't stepped in like that." Max shuddered at the mere thought of it. She had a lot to thank Chloe for.

"Excuse me, I uhh…I'm gonna go to the bathroom." Chloe suspiciously excused herself and stood up, prompting concern from Max. Without another word, she left the room towards the bar and Max felt the urge to follow her.

"I'll be right back." She leapt up and made her way out, and when she turned the corner, she saw Chloe sitting alone at the bar with her head hung low.

Max sat down next to her and placed her hand on Chloe's back.

"You okay, babe?" She softly asked.

"I fucked up." There was a sense of regret hinted in Chloe's voice, one that confused Max.

"What do you mean?"

"If I had just followed you out in the first place, you wouldn't have had to deal with that fucking lunatic." Max sensed a burning pain lingering in Chloe's head.

"But you still came just in time. You didn't fuck up, Chlo."

"Yes I did. I don't even know what I was thinking, bringing you here. It could've been a lot worse than some dirtbag trying to get an easy kiss from you. You don't even know how to defend yourself from that kinda thing." Chloe's fist slammed onto the counter, prompting a slight jump from Max.

"Chloe…Don't ever think that you fucked up _anything_. You've tried so hard to make me happy and that's all I could _ever_ ask for. The fact that you still came out despite me telling you I was fine shows how much you care for me. So please, don't discredit yourself." A slight smile peeked its way from Chloe's hidden face.

"Thanks, Max. I'm sorry for being such a fucking drama queen. I just…I just have issues with this stuff."

"No one's perfect. But to me, you're pretty damn close." Chloe chuckled at the flattering compliment and raised her head. A small tear had formed at the corner of her eye, so Max gently wiped it away. She held her girlfriend's head in her hands, gently grazing her cheeks with her fingers.

"And I'm glad you brought me here. I've always wanted to see what the punk life is like."

"Couple more mosh pits and you'll be joining the dark side soon enough."

"Okay, let's not get ahead of ourselves." They both laughed before exchanging a soft kiss.

"You know I'd do anything for you, right?" Max whispered.

"Tell me something I don't know." The brunette just rolled her eyes at the cocky return.

"Let's get back before they start losing their shit."

* * *

The band stepped onto the stage without warning and the crowd immediately went ballistic at the sight of them.

Excited cheers filled the room as the band began making their final preparations before kicking the show into action.

The anticipation was insulated within the walls, and Max could smell the impatience from the waiting crowd.

In an instant, the drummer jumped straight into a wild beat and the rest of the band immediately started to break into song, sending the room into a mad rave.

The crowd was deafening, and it was rather intriguing to Max to see such synchronised head bobbing throughout the room.

"Fuck yes, I love this song!" Rachel's hyped up and slightly drunk body began thrashing to the music and she immediately kicked herself into rave mode.

Chloe joined in and the two had joined their fellow punks and to the eyes of Max, they fit in like it was their home. For herself, she wasn't sure how well she'd be able to follow suit.

"Come on, Max! Don't just stand there like a clinically depressed zombie, get in here!" Chloe gestured to her as she threw about her body to the sound of the music.

 _No. I can't fucking do this! This isn't you, Max. You do Polaroid photography and tea sessions, not parties and raves._

Before she could turn and return to the slightly less overwhelming scene of the bar, she was sucked in by the wrist by none other than Chloe, who maintained a reasonably firm, but reassuring grip.

Max blushed in embarrassment and tried her best to hide her face as Chloe began doing the work for her, moving her arms and hips to the sounds of electric guitars and drums.

An unexpected fear began flooding the girl and she felt her ears become drowned out and the sound around her faded. Every sound was muffled but the sound of Chloe's voice.

"Come on, Max! Shake that boney white ass!" Her voice felt oddly comforting, and before she knew it, Max began to pick up momentum and let the music take over her body.

The mix of instruments was strangely engaging, and Max felt herself rocking out to the music.

"There you go! You're doing it!"

Her whole body let loose, and Max began discovering a side of her that she had left in her sub-conscience. She felt guilty for letting herself be influenced, but she couldn't care. She couldn't care at all.

All that mattered was finally relieving the stresses of life by allowing punk rock overwhelm her, and with Chloe by her side, it felt normal.

Her body moved back and forth as if she had done it before, and her hair swung wildly as she threw her arms up in delight.

She shared uncontrollable laughs with the bluenette and felt her heart exhilarating from the intensity of the soundtrack.

This was quite the kick to Max's metaphorical shell, and she felt herself slowly cracking her way out of the bubble that she had been confined in for so long.

She had never felt more alive.

It felt great.

* * *

"Goddamn, Max! You're hard-fucking-core!" Chloe panted as they left the stage room alongside Rachel, Carson, and Vinnie.

"Yeah, for a first time, you _really_ let loose." Vinnie added.

"That was fun. I'm not sure if I could do it regularly, but I wouldn't mind it every once in a while." Max's tone was still shy, but her heart was still beating rapidly, urging her to scream every word that left her lips.

"If it lets me see you in those clothes again, count me in." Chloe's joke prompted laughter from the group.

"Damn. It's already half past nine." Carson's eyes widened when he looked at his watch.

"Not late enough. You boys still owe us beers." Rachel's body had yet to calm down, she still skipped around in the room.

"We haven't forgotten, don't worry."

The group chatted along as they exited the sawmill, and Max realized just how late it was when she noticed the moon shining brightly in the black sky.

"Alright, you guys can follow our car, we'll lead the way." Vinnie pulled out his keys as he waved to the girls.

"Where's the car?" Both men began scanning the parking lot for their SUV, but it was nowhere to be found. "Didn't you park it back there?"

"Yeah, I did. That's where Adrian had to…" A moment of realization hit Vinnie like his missing SUV. He pushed down on the lock button on his keys, hoping he could hear the faint sound of a 'beep' in the distance to disprove his theory. Nothing was heard. "Carson…"

"Yeah?"

"You don't happen to know if Adrian knows how to hotwire a car, right?"

"I don't know. Why would you…Son of a bitch…" It was Carson's turn to realize the gravity of the situation. "That can't be right! Are you _sure_ the car ain't here?"

"Yes, I'm fucking sure! I don't hear the lock sound!"

"Hold up, Adrian _stole_ your car?" Rachel was in disbelief as she heard the story unfold.

"Seems like it. Motherfucker!" Carson let out a scream of fury into the air.

"Do you guys know where he could have gone?" Max asked, hoping to contribute to the situation.

"Uhh…I don't know, maybe he could've gone back to the motel?" Vinnie furiously scratched the back of his head. "That bastard, that was my dad's SUV! Fuck!"

"Dude, call him. Maybe he'll pick up." Chloe suggested.

"He better." Vinnie began angrily tapping away at his phone before swinging it up to his ear. "Son of a bitch, if you hang up on me…"

There was a moment of tense silence.

"Adrian! Where the fuck are you?!" Vinnie screamed with fury the moment Adrian picked up the phone. "Yeah, we're at the god damn sawmill, where else would we be, idiot?!" He began pacing back and forth around the lot. "No, I will not calm down, you…Wait, are you drunk?" His rage just continued to pile up. "Are you fucking kidding me right now?! You're joy-riding in my dad's SUV while you're _drunk_?! Adrian, I swear to _god_ if anything happens to that car, I will tear your ass in two, you hear me?! Hello?! Mother fucker!" Vinnie threw his arms up in the air in frustration. "He hung up."

"He's drunk?!" Carson needed clarification, he was just as mad as his friend. He groaned in fury when he saw Vinnie nod his head.

"Wait, that means he has to be at a bar, right? Could he be at the same place you were gonna take us?" Rachel asked.

"Maybe, we could try going there."

"Let's go, we can take my truck." Chloe began sprinting for the truck and the rest of the gang followed. "Shit, you'll just have to sit in the back. Carson, you sit in the passenger seat with me and give me directions."

"I'll take the back." Rachel immediately raised her hand to volunteer to ride in the truck bed.

With a fiery determination, Chloe rammed the gear shifter into drive and floored the truck, speeding away from the sawmill to hunt down Adrian.

* * *

"There he is. Fucking knew it." Carson pointed at a drunken Adrian who gently swayed his head at the bar. "Jesus Christ, he's fucking hammered."

Vinnie stomped over to his so-called friend and smacked the back of his head with his palm.

"Hey, asshole!" The attention of the bar was briefly drawn towards the two before it had returned to its normal state.

"Vin…Vinnie? Carson? What…what are you guys doing here?" Adrian's words left his mouth as a drunken slur, being close to inaudible.

"Get up, we're going back to the motel." Vinnie tried his hardest not to unleash his pent up fury on Adrian, he would do that back at the motel.

"I don't wanna…I like it here…The bartender is really nice to me…" Adrian's head lightly swung back and forth as if it were a light feather swaying in the breeze.

"Did he come in like this?" Vinnie turned to the bartender, who shook his head. "Good, so at least you weren't stupid enough to drive while you were fucked."

"You don't know me well enough man…I'm smart…"

"Shut the fuck up and let's go, you useless sack of shit."

"No! I'm staying…Go away…" Adrian's head tilted back and he caught Max's eyes in his peripherals. "You…you fucking bitch…" Those words were enough to enrage Chloe, and she lunged forward with her hand clenched into a fist.

"What the fuck did you say?!" Max quickly reacted and held her back, and Chloe released the tension in her fist.

"He didn't mean it. He's just drunk." Max said to calm her girlfriend down.

"You're a humiliation, you know that? Now cut the shit and get in the car." Carson tugged on Adrian's arm, but the drunk pushed him away.

"Can you please do something about this guy?" Vinnie looked back at the bartender who simply sighed. He turned to the back wall and pressed a button, and moments later, two burly men dressed in black short sleeve shirts and cargo pants were summoned into the room. The bartender pointed lazily at Adrian and the security men were quick to react.

"We just need him to get in the car." Carson explained. The men nodded and grabbed him by the arms, pulling him away from the counter.

"Hey! What are you doing? I have the right to be here! I am an American citizen, you pussies!" Adrian flailed his arms pointlessly to try and escape the tenacious grip of the security, but he was just being a nuisance, in no way hindering them.

"What a mess." Carson facepalmed in embarrassment.

"He always like this?" Chloe asked.

"Nope. He suffered a pretty rough break up with his girlfriend recently. Been drinkin' a shit ton since." Carson explained.

"Oh. You think that might be why he came onto Max so hard?"

"Maybe. But I don't see why those two things would correlate." Carson took a brief moment to pause. "I'm really worried about him. Hasn't been the same since the break up. If this is a sign of what's to come later, I'm real scared."

"Ouch. I'm sure he'll pull through though."

"I sure hope so. He's fucking annoying when he's drunk." Carson laughed, and so did Chloe.

"I could tell."

"I gotta go take Captain Morgan over there back to the motel. It's close, Vin and I will be back soon." Chloe nodded and Carson waved goodbye.

The girls sighed heavily and sat down.

"What a night." Max huffed.

"Yeah. Aren't you glad I took you to such a boring mosh pit?" Chloe's sarcasm sparked a brief giggle from Max.

"Thanks for taking me there though. It was a lot of fun."

"I wouldn't have taken you if I thought it wasn't." Chloe waved the bartender over and ordered a simple beer as did Rachel. However, Chloe's eyes adjusted back to Max briefly before looking back at the bartender. "You have any non-alcoholic beverages?"

"Yep. We got coke, iced tea-"

"Oh, I'll have an iced tea, thank you." Max interrupted the bartender, but he nodded and headed off to prepare their drinks.

"Iced tea? Whoa, Max, don't want you to get hammered like Adrian." Chloe held her hands up sarcastically.

"Shut up, dweeb." Max playfully shoved Chloe's shoulder.

Their drinks soon arrived so they drank and chatted until Carson and Vincent returned. The girls laughed and enjoyed their temporary girls' night out, but it was cut short by the return of the guys.

* * *

"It turned out that I had left my keys in my shorts' pocket when I went swimming," The gang were all intrigued and immersed into Vinnie's anecdote, granted, most of them were rather drunk.

"No way. Your keys were in the lake?" Rachel began laughing.

"Yes." The group all laughed at Vinnie's past failures. "We had to spend _four hours_ looking for those little shits!" The group's laughter howled even louder. Max on the other hand, only let out an amused giggle.

It was awkward being the one of the only ones who hadn't fallen under the influence of alcohol, and at this point it was too late to experiment as she had accepted the role of designated driver for the girls. Vinnie had taken the role for the male counterpart of the group.

Unexpectedly, Chloe's head landed on Max's shoulder for support. The wasted punk looked up into the sober girl's eyes.

"Maaaax…I need to tell you something…" Her words were extremely slurred, the moment Max had claimed the position of designated driver, Chloe let loose and started to down as many bottles of beer as she could. The outcome of her decision was rather stressful for Max, but at the same time, it was fairly amusing.

"What is it?" Max giggled at the tipsy Chloe who paused a moment before tapping Max's nose gently with her finger.

"You're so cute…" The whole group laughed. "You're like a little bunny…" Chloe herself fell into a fit of drunken hysterics.

"I need to tell you something too, Chlo." Max returned and Chloe's eyes lit up. "You're drunk." The bluenette pouted.

"I have no idea…what you're talking about..." A brief hiccup left Chloe's mouth. "I'm not dunk." Max laughed at Chloe's inability to speak words. The lack of an 'R' in the word 'drunk' was just too funny.

"Heh heh. Chloe's drunk…" Unsurprisingly, Rachel seemed to be just as hammered as Chloe was; slurring her own speech and losing balance in her body as it swayed.

"Look who's talking." Vinnie laughed.

"Hey! Don't you dare…I'm not…Ugh…" Rachel simply gave up on the rest of her sentence as she blurted out inaudible nonsense.

Max opened her phone and her eyes widened when she saw that the clock read 12:43 AM.

"It's really late. I think I should take these two home." Max stood up from her seat and Carson and Vinnie did the same.

Compared to the girls, Carson was far from completely wasted. His speech had slightly slowed but he was closer to sober than he was to drunk. Max was slightly grateful for that fact.

"Hey, I'll help you get these two to your truck." Vinnie lifted Rachel onto her feet and Max did the same to Chloe. It was quite the struggle as Chloe's body had seemingly completely shut down so she was no help to the situation. Max tirelessly escorted Chloe back to the truck where she sat her gently in the central seat with Rachel being placed next to her.

"Thanks for the help." Max shut the passenger door and looked back at Vinnie.

"No problem. You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah. I can probably find my way back no problem."

"Best of luck. Thanks for tonight. It was some great fun." Vinnie smiled and Max did the same.

"Thought so too. Hopefully we can all get together again."

"I'd totally be down for that. Here's my number, give me a call whenever and be sure to get it to Chloe and Rachel." The two exchanged phone numbers before saying their final goodbyes. They each went to their respective vehicles, and it was now the challenge of driving back to Arcadia Bay.

To Max, it wasn't the dimly lit road that lay ahead or the lack of sleep. It was the two drunkards that would be sat next to her on the journey.

* * *

Max panted as she used a free hand to retrieve the keys to Rachel's dorm room. She fumbled around with them before finally unlocking the door, and once she did, she dragged Rachel's dormant body to her bed.

She panted once she had tucked the girl in, and when she was satisfied with her good deed, she left the room and turned her attention to Chloe.

 _I guess you're sleeping over again._

As she did with Rachel, Max hauled Chloe into her own room where she threw her girlfriend onto the bed. Chloe landed like a sack of potatoes onto the mattress.

Max wiped away beads of sweat that were dripping from her forehead before opening her closet and preparing herself for bed. She switched to her pajamas and grabbed her toothbrush and was just about to leave for the bathrooms when Chloe's sleeping body caught her eye.

 _Can I just leave her alone? I'm sure she'll be fine. She's asleep, right?_

Hesitant, but willing to take the risk, Max bolted for the bathroom and brushed her teeth as if it were an Olympic sport.

Every brush only sparked more concern from the paranoid Max, so in an effort to not waste any seconds, she wrapped up and ran back to her room to be greeted by a rather unexpected sight.

Chloe sat right in the middle of Max's bed with her legs crossed, munching on cookies from the box that Max's mother had sent her. The strangest part of the scene was the fact that Chloe was in her underwear.

Her clothes were strewn across the floor and it was clear that she had simply threw them off carelessly.

"Chloe! What are you doing?!" Max's voice remained a whisper as to not wake the other residents.

"I was…" Chloe let out a thundering burp. "…hungry…" Max put a hand up to her forehead and leaned her head back.

"Put that away and go to bed. Please." Max snatched the box from Chloe's hands which prompted a childish whine from the girl. "And can you please put your clothes back on?"

"Noooo…It's too hot…" Chloe fell back onto the bed.

"It's not that bad, just _please_ put them back on?" Max began picking up her girlfriend's clothes off the floor. She felt like a single mother treating a misbehaving child. "Chloe?" She turned back to see the punk now completely fallen asleep, her mouth ajar and breathing heavy. It was as if she had never woken up in the first place.

Max facepalmed before neatly folding Chloe's clothes and placing them on an empty chair with a sigh.

With no other choice, Max tucked Chloe in and drowsily retrieved a spare blanket from her closet as well as the pillow she had knit with her mother from her bed.

She rested on the couch, barely able to fit on the rather small piece of furniture. She curled her legs in and covered herself in the thin sheet before dozing off to sleep.

* * *

 **A/N: Longest chapter I've ever written, well over 10k words! I just had so much I wanted to put into this chapter and this one's been my favourite so far. Always wanted to have Max experience her first mosh pit and I hope I did well in portraying the whole scenario.**

 **Still more to come so stay tuned, stay awesome folks!**


	11. Broken Glass

**Chapter 11: Broken Glass**

* * *

 **A/N: Some info regarding the future of Rachel's character at the end.**

* * *

 _Ugh…what the fuck happened...? My head feels like it's been roundhouse kicked by Chuck Norris._

Chloe held a hand to her forehead, wincing at the immense headache that plagued her. She rubbed her eyes awake and blinked to familiarize herself to her surroundings.

She sat up, soaking in the beaming rays of sunlight that shone through Max's window.

"Max?" Chloe called out even though the brunette was nowhere in sight, it was more of an instinct to call her name.

She looked down to see that she was only in her underwear, and she frantically searched the room for her clothes.

 _Did someone steal my clothes?_

Her body turned and her legs hung off the side of the bed, and she scratched the back of her head and groaned.

 _I barely remember anything at all from last night, besides going to see Firewalk with Max. Man, that was fucking awesomesauce._

Her mind trailed to the memory of seeing her timid girlfriend bobbing her head back and forth to the sound of the guitars and drums of one of her favourite bands, but it quickly focused back on the lingering headache.

She shook her head rapidly to try and erase the pain as well as wake her up, and she leapt up from her bed and stretched her limbs.

Chloe stood up and began to mildly panic, as she was alone in Max's room in her underwear with none of her clothes to be seen.

Her eyes were drawn to Max's closet, and she immediately recalled when Max had suggested to wear her clothes yesterday.

 _I mean, I don't really have any choice now, do I?_

She stared at the wardrobe of t-shirts and hoodies and she felt like they were staring back at her. A temptation began overcoming her but as she gingerly approached the closet, the door of the room opened to reveal Max carrying a shopping bag.

The brunette's eyes widened at the unexpected sight of an awake Chloe standing next to her closet in her underwear, but she remained rather casual about the situation and entered the room.

"Oh, didn't expect you to be awake so soon." Max placed the shopping bag down and leaned up to give Chloe a quick kiss.

"What the fuck happened last night?" Chloe scratched her head.

"Well, you got pretty drunk at the bar Carson and Vinnie took us. You remember those guys, right?" Max asked, not fully understanding the extent to Chloe's lack of memory.

"Yeah, of course I do. I sorta remember getting Adrian kicked out of the bar, but not much after that."

"After that, you ended up downing a ton of beers and got totally wasted. I had to drive you _and_ Rach back to Blackwell." Chloe looked rather embarrassed.

"Oh shit, I'm so sorry about that. I wasn't thinking when I asked you to drive."

"It's fine. I got a pretty nice workout from carrying you both." Max giggled. Chloe's attention turned to the shopping bag now resting on Max's bed.

"You went shopping early morning?" Chloe asked with a puzzled expression.

"Of course not, doofus." Max dove into the bag to pull out one of Chloe's tank tops. "These are some of your clothes." Chloe was rather surprised and confused to see Max in possession of her clothes. "I stopped by your house when I woke up and your mom was nice enough to let me get some new clothes for you, since you're obviously not gonna be wearing your clothes from last night."

"Oh, uhh…thanks, babe." Chloe was baffled at the gesture but gladly accepted the convenience.

She nodded in approval when she pulled out a selection of her typical punk rock clothing, an outfit she would pick out herself.

"Damn, Max. You really have a good sense in punk clothing, I'm impressed. You sure you're secretly not some hardcore thrasher underneath that hipster façade?" Chloe quipped.

"Just take your clothes and go take a shower, you smell like a sweaty football player during a hangover. You can use my shower supplies." Max pointed to her dresser where a small bag of shampoo and body wash rested on and gestured Chloe out the door.

She lazily threw on her tank top and jeans and left as she was going to be out of them soon anyways.

She sauntered through the halls and into the shower room which was empty to her relief, but her eyes began trailing across the room impressed at the significant changes that had been made ever since the last time she had been there.

 _Damn, they really cleaned up the place since I left this shithole. Now I kinda regret beating that whore's face in._

Quickly returning her attention to the task at hand, she stepped into an empty stall and cleaned herself, subtly moaning in pleasure as sprays of warm water rained down onto her body.

She dressed herself in her clothes and couldn't help but chuckle at the impressive choice of outfit that Max had picked out for her, still astounded by her ability to pick such a brazen set of clothes despite her own subtle tastes.

With her clothes now on and her mind and body refreshed, she skipped back to Max's dorm but immediately halted when she heard the sounds of guitar strings being beautifully plucked behind the door.

What surprised Chloe even more was the voice. It was as if an angel had graced itself upon Blackwell and had decided to take residence in Max's room.

" _Someday, we will foresee obstacles…through the blizzard…through the blizzard…_ " A voice sang from within and it was enough to send goosebumps through Chloe's body.

 _Holy shitballs, is that Max?!_

She was in utter disbelief at the sheer talent that she was hearing. The soothing calmness of Max's voice paired with the flawless patterned chords of an acoustic guitar danced in Chloe's ears, causing her to lose her breath in awe.

 _God fucking damn! This girl never fails to surprise me. She is hella fucking talented._

She needed to see for herself, truly find out if her ears had been deceiving her or not. Chloe gingerly eased the door open, but the sound of a slight creak halted the serene tune.

Her head peeked in to see Max blushing and scrambling to return the guitar back to its place, clearing her throat and pretending as if nothing had happened.

"Chl-Chloe! You're uhh…you're back!" Max shyly sat on her couch, hoping that she hadn't been heard through the thin walls.

"Yep, uhh…showers are a lot nicer than when I last saw 'em." Chloe feigned ignorance, but in all honesty, she had no idea why. Maybe she simply enjoyed teasing Max this way.

"Oh, that's uhh…that's cool." Even if Chloe hadn't heard Max's vocals, it would've been obvious that she was hiding something, her posture and stammering made it clear.

"Hey, so uhh…" Chloe's eyes trailed to the carelessly placed guitar barely leaning upright against the wall. "I've never heard you play guitar. Can you play something for me?" Max seemed to grow even more nervous, and it was rather amusing to see how insecure she was about her singing. Chloe had no clue as to why she would want to hide such a talent.

"I uhh…I don't think I should…" Max scratched her head.

"Maybe you could sing me a song too…" Chloe was making it blatantly obvious that she heard.

"You heard me, didn't you…?"

"Fine, I did." Max fell back in her seat and groaned with her hands covering her face.

"Why? Max, you sound fucking _amazing_. Why didn't you ever tell me?" Chloe sat next to Max.

"It's 'cause…I don't like singing in front of other people. In fact, I'm just afraid to sing _at all_."

"Why not?"

"It's complicated." Max was trying hard to avoid, but Chloe was determined to uncover the mystery of Max's distaste for performing.

"Max, you can tell me, it's fine. If it's 'cause you think you don't sing well you can forget about it, 'cause I've never heard anyone sing so damn amazingly." Max's revealed a slight smile.

"Really?"

"Chills all over my body."

"Alright." Max sighed. "I'll tell you, but you can't tell anyone else. _Please_."

"Max, I will eat myself if I ever told anyone. I swear." Chloe held her hand up as a sign of promise.

"Okay, I wouldn't go _that_ far, but sure." Max chuckled then took a deep breath. "When I was sixteen, all I ever wanted to be was a famous singer. I know it sounds stupid, but it was true. So, one year I decided to perform at my school's talent show. I remember practising _so_ hard every day after school to the point where I could perform the song backwards with my eyes blindfolded. But on the day of the show, I completely screwed it up; I couldn't play any of the chords, my voice cracked, and I forgot the lyrics." Max's frowned deeply as she continued, still seemingly embarrassed at the memory of the incident. "I became known as the loser who fucked everything up at the big talent show. It was bad enough that I had no friends, and I just made everything worse by showing my face on that day."

"Jesus, Max. I totally get it. Is that why you stopped singing?" Chloe comfortingly rubbed Max's back.

"Pretty much. I just stuck to photography ever since. I guess I'm kinda glad for that part, I enjoy snapping pictures a lot more than standing up on stage." Max's eyes adjusted to the wall of Polaroids in her room. "I guess it's why I was excited to come to Blackwell. You know, a fresh start where I could maybe make a few friends that didn't know about what happened."

"Max, you're a beautiful singer. I guess I can't force you to keep doing it, but I think you're hiding something totally amazeballs from the world." The two smiled at each other.

"Thanks." They both hugged each other and shared a brief moment to appreciate each other's company, and Chloe could tell that Max was glad she had someone to talk to. "By the way, you said that the showers here were different than when you were last here. Did you use to live in the dorms?" It was a subject that Chloe realized that she had never brought up, and in truth she had completely forgotten about the incident. She had become so accustomed to living back at home with her mother and step-father that the short period in which she took residence at the Prescott Dormitories became a distant recollection to her mind.

"Yeah, but I got kicked out two years back." She was far from afraid to admit it. In fact, she almost boasted it.

"How come?"

"Well, that's a bit of a long story."

"Oh come on, I shared my tales from the past, it's your turn."

"Ok, fine." Chloe groaned. "So, during my freshman year at this dump, I met this shit-for-brains Vortex bitch named Leanne Shayne; one of Victoria's besties. I think the moment we crossed paths we were just destined to hate each other's guts."

"Why'd you hate each other so much?"

"She thought I was being some fucking drama queen using my dad's death as a way of hogging attention." Chloe scowled at the memory of Leanne hissing and taunting her repeatedly.

"Are you cereal? What a bitch." Max spat.

"That's really an understatement. I managed to keep my cool for a while, but one day, she just pissed me off too much." Chloe clenched her fist tenaciously, Leanne's words still infuriated her.

"What'd she say?"

"She went on about how my father was a waste of space and that he was a 'fortunate casualty'." Max gasped.

"How could someone just say that and get away with it?" Now Max was clenching her fist, she shared Chloe's anger.

"Oh believe me, she didn't."

"What do you mean? Did she get in trouble?"

"Oh yeah. She got in hella trouble with my fist." It didn't take long for Max to put two and two together, only prompting a speechless 'oh'.

"I gave her a broken nose in the end. She also got a permanent scar on her left cheek, so luckily I managed to somewhat ruin her 'perfect face'." Chloe made air quotes, but smiled at the memory of her serving what Leanne had well deserved.

"So what happened next?"

"Not all tales end in a happy ending, dear Max. I got expelled from the dorms, they said I wasn't allowed to live here ever again. I also got suspended for a while, would've been worse if it wasn't for step-cock. At least he's good for something." Chloe crossed her arms.

"I mean, you gotta at least _thank_ him for that, right? He saved your scholarship."

"I did at first, but Jesus Christ. The guy won't let me live it down. He always uses that as leverage in our arguments; which happen _a lot_." Chloe switched to a deeper tone to mock David. " _Oh, just remember who saved your scholarship at Blackwell_. Fucking prick."

"I can really feel the love there." Max sarcastically remarked. "So what happened to Leanne?"

"She got away scot-free, of course. Being best friends with Victoria fucking Chase means you get an all-access VIP pass to the Prescott get-out-of-jail-free card. Wells just let her off as if she did nothing wrong. Total bullshit." Chloe groaned at the fact that no matter what she did, she would never win against Wells or the Prescotts.

"Where's Leanne now? She obviously doesn't attend Blackwell anymore."

"Oh, she packed up and high-tailed outta here a few weeks after she got her nose fixed. Said she couldn't handle the slobs and murderers here at Blackwell so she just ditched. Victoria got pretty upset at the fact that she lost one of her best friends, so she's been blaming me ever since. I guess she essentially took Leanne's role as the one bitch who has to piss me off." Max pouted, clearly just as equally frustrated by Chloe's situation.

"I'm real sorry to hear that." Max hugged Chloe and the punk immediately felt much better. "I wish I had the ability to just make it all go away. People like Victoria and Leanne just fucking suck."

Chloe just sighed.

"Tell me about it."

* * *

Max stared blankly at the ceiling above her, struggling to shut her eyes and doze off. For some odd reason, she couldn't fall asleep despite being wrapped in the slender arms of Chloe, who had easily drifted off without trouble.

Maybe it was the ecstasy from having just had sex with her girlfriend that hadn't worn off, and with many hours until daylight, Max had plenty of time to contemplate.

Everything around her seemed so trivial at the moment, thoughts of stress and worry were replaced by something else, something different. Max just couldn't put her finger on it.

Typically subtle background noises became amplified to Max's ears; the ticking of her clock was all she heard.

Maybe there was a specific reason for her insomnia. Perhaps some sort of sign pointing her to something late at night. Max shook her head to erase those ridiculous thoughts.

She reached over the side of her bed and picked up her phone, squinting her eyes at the sudden bright light that shone upon turning it on. She sighed when she read 1:16 AM on the screen.

 _I need a walk or something, maybe that'll clear my head._

Cautiously, Max slid her naked body out of Chloe's grasp, and snuck off the bed and onto her feet. She silently got dressed and gave one final glance back to her sleeping girlfriend before heading out the door.

The halls of the dormitories were pitch black, and Max had the lingering thought in the back of her head that told her to turn around and go back to her room. However, she instead switched on her phone's flashlight and began her stroll towards the front door.

This was obviously the second time she was breaking curfew, but Chloe wasn't there to persuade her this time, it was just her and her inability to fall asleep.

She tip-toed out the door, and was hit by a refreshing wave of late night breeze as she stepped outside.

The campus was so peaceful at night. The normally bustling area was now deserted and instead occupied by chirping crickets and flickering lamps. As well in the distance was none other than the Topanga, a structure that still frightened Max slightly to this day.

 _Man, this is so relaxing. I could just stay here all night._

Just as Max began her casual walk through what she assumed was an empty campus, she heard the undeniable sound of sobbing faintly in the distance.

 _That's kinda creepy, like something out of a horror movie._

Max gingerly followed the sound and as she turned the corner onto the main campus she was surprised to see a familiar figure weeping on a bench alone.

 _Victoria? What's she doing here?_

Max was hesitant on approaching her. After all, she was one of the main reasons why attending Blackwell was sometimes simply miserable for her.

However, Max's desire to help others overcame her fears, and before she could turn back, her feet were silently approaching the distressed girl.

"Uhh, Victoria?" Max's greeting shook the crying girl and caused her to jump, scowling when she saw Max's face staring down at her. She sniffled and wiped away her tears.

"What the fuck do you want, Max?" Her voice shuddered, and her eyes glowed with red from the immense crying.

"I just wanted to know if you were okay." Max spoke in a comforting tone, hoping she could simmer Victoria's hostility towards her.

"Why would you even care? You hate me."

"So? Just 'cause we're enemies doesn't mean we can't help each other out."

"Whatever. I bet you couldn't give a shit about me, why would you? Why would anyone care?" Her last sentence trailed off into a sorrowful fade, and Max sensed burning self-loathe in Victoria's voice.

"A lot of people seem to care. I mean, you're pretty much the queen of Blackwell. You own the Vortex Club. You're the perfect girl that everyone wants to be." Victoria raised an eyebrow.

"I can't tell if that's supposed to be a compliment or an insult."

"Take it how you want. What I'm saying is, people care about you. To be honest, seeing you like this, I sorta care about you too." Max gave Victoria a warm smile, something that even she hadn't even anticipated; it just happened out of instinct.

"Wow, Max. This…this is the last thing I'd ever expect from you." A very subtle smile cracked its way onto Victoria's lips, peering from the side of her face. "You uh…you wanna sit down?" She gestured to the empty spot on the bench and Max accepted the offer.

"You wanna talk about it?" Max asked worryingly.

"I don't know. I've never talked about this before to anyone, not even Taylor and Courtney." Victoria shyly admitted.

"You have no reason to trust me with that kind of information, but I _really_ do wanna help you. But if you don't wanna tell me, that's totally okay, Victoria." The dismal girl's smile reached a little further.

"Vic."

"Excuse me?" Max gave off a puzzled expression.

"You can call me Vic." She raised her head and smiled at Max, and the brunette felt like the seemingly insignificant gesture was something that was so much more than permission to call Victoria by an abbreviated name.

"I've seen your work, Vic. I still get chills when I see it, you're a really talented photographer."

"Thanks, Max."

"No worries. I just wish you could be happy with that and not bring people down so often. You can share your gift with others and help them become better, I can see that in you." Max had no idea where this sudden burst of confidence had come from, but she was in no position to complain; she was really connecting with Victoria.

"I wish that too Max. But I have these issues."

"What kind of issues?" Victoria seemed reluctant to express her feelings, but Max could tell she felt ready and willing to talk.

"It's…it's my parents."

"What about them?"

"They couldn't give a shit about me. It's all I've ever wanted to do with my photography; impress my parents to let them know I can _do_ something with my life." The tears began to return as Victoria's voice began to shiver again. "My dad's too busy with his head up his own ass to bother caring and my mom's too busy making clothes for whores." She wiped away the streaming tears on her cheeks. "I just want them to…know that I fucking _exist_!"

"Vic…I had…I had no idea." Max was surprised to see this entirely different side of Victoria; helpless, desperate, and with no one by her side to compliment her repeatedly.

"It's why I'm so fucking insecure. I need the approval of others, and sometimes even _that_ doesn't satisfy me. My friends aren't my parents." Max wrapped her arm around Victoria and hugged her. Surprisingly, she accepted it and let herself be held by her former nemesis.

"It's okay Vic. Like I said, you're a hella amazing photographer and you should be more than happy with that. You just gotta remember that your parents aren't the only ones who should matter, and if they can't be pleased with what you do, then screw them." Max rubbed Victoria's back to comfort her before using her finger to wipe away a stray tear on her cheek.

"Thanks Max. Listen, I'm sorry for everything I've said to you. To be honest, I only said it 'cause I was jealous." Max's eyes slightly widened.

"Jealous? Of me?" Victoria nodded.

"I think you have a great eye. Your instant camera shots are really impressive." Max blushed. Victoria was the last person she had expected to flatter her in such a way.

"Thanks, Vic."

"Oh, and 'hella'? Chloe really is influencing you hard, huh?" They both laughed.

"Seems like it. Just sneaks its way into my vocabulary."

"Speaking of which, are you and Chloe a thing? I've uhh…I've always wondered about that."

"Yeah. We haven't told many people though. We prefer to just let them find out themselves."

"I feel like shit for how I've treated Chloe. Has she…ever talked about me?"

"Yeah. She told me about Leanne." Victoria let out a neutral 'oh'. "I'm sure you miss her."

"Not gonna lie, I really don't." Max was confused.

"Really?"

"Yeah. She just totally forgot about me after she left. I'm kinda glad Chloe gave her a total beating." The two sat in temporary silence for a moment, letting themselves enjoy the peace around them in each other's company. "You know what's funny?"

"What?"

"I sort of used to be like you, Max." The brunette slightly tilted her head in bewilderment. "I used to be the shy new kid too." She chuckled. "I remember trying _so_ hard to fit in. I wore the fancy clothes, I did drugs, drank booze."

"Well, you got what you wanted, right?" Max asked, trying to look at the positives.

"Sure. But was it all worth it? Hurting so many people, making them feel like shit when I could've uplifted them. I did all this stupid crap just to please my parents who won't even look at me."

"Wowser, Vic, I had no idea you had thoughts like these. Why all of a sudden are you having this change of heart?" Max's words struck a pang of guilt into Victoria's head, sparking another oncoming wave of tears.

"It's so fucking hard to think about…" Victoria's words cracked and escaped her shuddering lips as a thin whisper.

"It's okay, Vic. You can tell me."

"During my second year at Blackwell, I was _so_ close to getting my spot in the Vortex Club. I tried so hard all year, but there was one girl named Eleanor who scored favours with the Club which meant she was about to take my spot. So, I did some research and found an old video of her getting naked at some party while she was drunk." Max knew where this was leading to. It was obvious.

"You blackmailed her?" Victoria only painfully nodded.

"She did everything to back off from the Vortex and let me in, but they took her anyways. She told me that my application got lost or something, but I didn't believe her."

Max had a vague knowledge of the Vortex Club and its purpose, and she personally believed it to be an elitist group that she didn't want to be a part of. However, she knew well that a full application wasn't necessary for entry, so Victoria's tale was puzzling.

"You needed applications for the Vortex Club?" Max asked.

"Back then you did. They wanted to keep it as exclusive as possible, but they scrapped the idea when they realized they didn't have enough members to keep it going." Max nodded in understanding.

"Okay. Go on."

"Anyways, I thought she was just lying to my face, so…I released the video." There was a strong sense of regret burning in Victoria's voice, and Max could tell it had been eating away at her for years. "They were like fucking wolves, Max. They took her apart day after day and never stopped. She got what she wanted; she became popular."

"But for the wrong reasons." Max finished Victoria's sentence. There was a tense pause as Victoria struggled to conceive the right words to speak next.

"I just found out today that she commit suicide." Victoria's voice trembled and her lips shook in regret and anguish. It all came crashing down on Max in an instant, and she felt herself more concerned for Victoria than she ever thought she could be.

"Victoria…" Max gently placed her hand on Victoria's arm and felt it shiver.

"It's all my fault, Max…" Victoria's sobs turned her words into agonized murmurs that struggled to leave her cold lips.

Max didn't know what to say. Telling her that it wasn't her fault would be a blatant lie, and telling her that it would be okay would likely worsen Victoria's pain.

"Even though she left Blackwell, the video followed her. No one wanted to accept her into their schools, or let her have a respectable job." Victoria's wails echoed throughout the campus, and with every cry, Max felt as if a knife was stabbed through her heart. "I fucking killed her. I'm a murderer, Max."

"No, you're not a-"

"I killed an innocent girl, Max!" Victoria shrieked into Max's face, striking a brief moment of fear into the brunette. "If I had just never released that fucking video, she'd be alive!" Victoria was the last person Max would have ever considered to be a friend, but despite that, seeing her in this state hurt her just as bad. So many emotions raced through her mind and she dug through her brain to think of anything to say to make Victoria feel even a little bit better. "You know what's even worse? It turned out that she _was_ telling me the truth. One of the Vortex members ended up misplacing my application and it ended up in the trash. If I hadn't been so fucking stubborn, Eleanor would be okay, not hanging from a fucking rope!"

"You didn't know. It was never your intention to kill her. I'm not saying that you didn't contribute to this, but you shouldn't keep beating yourself up. You can learn from this, make sure this _never_ happens to anyone again." Max was uncertain of her words and whether or not they would improve Victoria's mood. Getting her to move past Eleanor's death would be near impossible, she was already traumatized and possibly on the verge of completely breaking down past salvation. Max's brain began to panic, unsure of what to do or say.

"Max, if I had just believed her, she wouldn't be dead. This didn't _have_ to happen in the first place."

"Victoria, you can't keep living in the past! Regretting everything you did years ago won't make it go away!" Max felt that she was being slightly harsh. After all, she wasn't the one coping with the guilt of indirectly causing a girl's suicide. Victoria only deeply stared back at Max, tears still blurring her eyes. "You can change Vic. I _know_ you can. Eleanor didn't deserve what happened to her, sure, but it's up to you now to make sure others like Eleanor don't have to suffer through things like this." Her voice was soft, comforting. She sympathised with Victoria which was something she never thought would happen, but after hearing what she was enduring, she felt tragically sorry for her.

Victoria stared at her feet, not a single word leaving her lips. It felt like a micro eternity before she broke the silence with a desperate squeak.

"Max…I don't know if I can do that…" Victoria used her palm to wipe away the tears that impaired her vision. "How do I just forget about something like this?"

"I…I don't know." Max admitted. "But trust me; I'm here for you. Whenever you need me." Again, Max sent Victoria a heartfelt smile and she was surprised to see the other girl attempt the same.

"Thank you, Max. Why…why are you being so nice to me when I've been such a bitch to you?"

"'Cause you were able to realize your flaws and agree that you needed to fix them. Not many people can do that. Also, I'm an impulsive helper." Victoria giggled through her weeps.

"You're an amazing person, Max. I uhh…I thought about you a lot when I heard about Eleanor's suicide." Max widened her eyes slightly.

"You did?"

"I thought about how maybe…" Victoria's voice choked from the tears. "…you might end up like Eleanor…because of what I did to you." Max could sense the guilt and pain that burned inside Victoria's head, chewing away at her feeble mind.

"Victoria…"

"I'm so fucking sorry Max…" It was heart-wrenching to see how much anguish Victoria had suffered from hearing the news regarding Eleanor. It had shattered her entire world apart, causing her to question every aspect and action that she had performed in her life.

Every word she spoke, every person she touched, and every innocent soul she had hurt had come crashing down on her and she had finally come to realize the immense consequences of her deeds.

It was baffling to see how much she had changed in the matter of a single night, but it was more painful to witness her undergo these changes.

Rather than wasting her breath with words, Max wrapped her arms tightly around Victoria once again, letting the girl sob into her shoulder.

From all of this, Max completely forgot about her insomnia.

She'd stay up all night if it meant liberating Victoria from her nightmare.

She had the time.

* * *

 **A/N: Pretty emotional chapter to write, lots of storytelling from the characters which let me write up some original stuff that I've been meaning to do.**

 **I've wanted to experiment with trying to make LiS characters original, whilst keeping them the same, if that makes sense. Nevertheless, I hope you like these new backstories.**

 **Now, as for Rachel.**

 **Before the Storm just came out and holy shitballs was it amazing. Deck Nine did a brilliant job at creating a world that still felt like Arcadia Bay, while still keeping things mysterious and unpredictable.**

 **Now Rachel's character in BtS is** _ **way**_ **different than how she is in this fic. In BtS, she's enigmatic and mysterious, while in 24/7, she's eccentric and rather nosey and acts as Chloe's wild personal sidekick.**

 **Rachel's canon personality won't affect her character in 24/7 whatsoever. I envisioned her my way long before BtS was even announced, so I'm gonna keep her this way throughout. Hope you're okay with that.**

 **That's enough rambling, that took a lot outta me, haven't done a long A/N in a while :P.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this rather different chapter, and please let me know if you wanna see more diary chapters like I did in chapter 5.**

 **Stay awesome!**


	12. Cannonballs

**Chapter 12: Cannonballs**

"Jesus. I didn't know Victoria had to deal with that shit." Chloe scratched the back of her head rather guiltily as Max finished telling Chloe of her tale.

The two sat at their usual booth at the Two Whales Diner following another dreary day at school as they both felt they needed time to themselves to wash away the endless lectures of English and Chemistry.

"It totally sucks. I feel really sorry for her." Max forcefully gulped down another bite of her scrambled eggs. Even after so many hours after talking to Victoria the previous night, Max still couldn't stop thinking about what she had been told. How could she? Her appetite was practically non-existent and the typically mouth-watering food of the Two Whales seemed bland and tasteless.

"I feel like total shit for being such a bitch to her now." Chloe rubbed the back of her neck, and her appetite had died just like Max's.

"Don't beat yourself up about it. You didn't know." Max poked at her now cold bacon strips.

"What happened after that?" Chloe asked.

"She told me she wanted to be alone so she went back to the dorms. She wasn't a pretty sight to see, let me tell you that much."

"I can imagine. What about you? What'd you do next?"

"I just sat there for a bit. I…I didn't know what to do." Max recalled the memory of herself sitting alone at the bench, the shoulder of her hoodie soaked in Victoria's tears and her mind washed with emotions. She remembered crying. Shedding tears from how concerned she was for Victoria's mental state. The thought of her thinking that Max would suffer the same fate as Eleanor was something she had never even thought of. She imagined how much pain Victoria was going through, coping with the suicide that she had contributed to, and she almost felt the same pain.

Max hadn't seen Victoria at all that day at school. She hadn't attended photography class and she was never to be seen in the halls. It left Max biting her nails in paranoia.

Max had even stopped by Victoria's dorm room right after classes, sprinting through the main campus and down the halls before hammering on her door.

Worryingly, there was no response, and with no one around to help her get inside, Max left the building feeling a strong sense of panic and anxiety.

"I'm really worried about her, Chlo. I'm scared she might do something…something fucked up." Max didn't dare think about the worse case scenarios. That was too much to stack onto her shattering head.

"Don't worry, I'm sure she just went to have some time alone." Chloe tried her best to comfort her girlfriend, despite surprisingly being concerned herself for her long time enemy.

Just as Max opened her mouth to speak again, a familiar face entered the diner.

 _Oh my God, Victoria!_

Victoria's attire was rather unusual; rather than her typical ostentatious set of cashmere and expensive gem necklaces, she had settled for a much less eye-grabbing dark grey hoodie and jeans. It was almost hard to notice her without her usual fashion sense.

Victoria's eyes caught Max and Chloe in their peripherals, and she innocently began approaching the two, seemingly nervous.

"Hi, Max. Hey…Chloe…" She hid her face when greeting the punk from guilt.

"Hey, Vic. You feeling okay? I looked for you after school but you weren't in your room." Max softly asked.

"I'm doing fine. I just needed some space for the day. There was just a lot on my mind." Victoria's voice was quite squeaky and sounded very helpless.

"That's good. You wanna sit down?" Max shifted over to make room for the other girl, but she seemed reluctant to accept. Her eyes moved to Chloe.

"No, don't worry about me. You can totally sit." Chloe gestured Victoria to sit down, and she quickly obliged.

"Chloe, I think I owe you an apolo-" Chloe swiftly cut off Victoria's sentence before she could continue.

"No, Victoria. You don't need to apologize for anything. Max told me everything, and I feel like shit for how I treated you. I didn't know." Victoria smiled.

"I guess we were both total bitches to each other, weren't we?" They both chuckled.

"Something we can both agree on." Chloe remarked.

"Believe me, I've never _actually_ hated you, Chloe. I genuinely thought you were pretty cool. It's just that what happened with Leanne just clouded my judgment."

"Thanks, Vic. I just wanna put that shit behind us and move on. And I'm sorry you've been having to go through all this. Max told me and it sounds fucking awful."

"Well, karma's a bitch. I've just spent today thinking about… _everything_. Just made me realize how much more there is to the world than cashmere sweaters and fancy cars. I'm not the only one on the planet." Victoria kept her head hung down.

"I'm glad you're trying to change, Vic." Max gently rubbed Victoria's back which was responded with a warm smile. "I know this might be the wrong time but, speaking of cashmere sweaters, where's yours?" Max pointed to Victoria's choice of clothing, still bewildered by it all.

"I didn't want people to notice me. I just wanted to be alone."

"Oh. You want us to leave you then?" Max asked, prompting Victoria to protest.

"No!" Her body shot upwards and she held her hands out to stop Max before she could even think about standing up. She then realized that she her reaction had been rather unexpectedly desperate, so she cleared her throat and returned to her slouched position. "I mean, uhh…don't go."

Chloe and Max simply looked at each other and both shrugged, but it didn't mean that either of them were planning on leaving Victoria by herself. They felt quite the opposite.

"Have you had anything to eat today?" Max asked.

"Wow, now that you mention it, no. I've just come to realize how fucking starved I am." Victoria rubbed her stomach as her eyes were drawn to the unfinished plate of eggs and bacon next to Max.

"We'll get you something, our treat." Max waved over a nearby waitress.

"Thanks guys. Hey, maybe I should stay like this all the time so I can get some free meals." They all laughed, and Max was glad to see Victoria being able to crack jokes, it was a sign of recovery. Not only that, but she was cracking jokes with her of all people, an occurrence that the Max of a few weeks past would have simply laughed off as an impossibility.

"Don't test your luck, our pockets aren't as deep as yours" Chloe bantered, prompting an eye roll from Victoria.

She placed her order of a burger and fries and Max heard the pixie-haired girl's stomach growl from across the table.

As they waited for Victoria's meal to arrive, they conversed as friends would, doing everything to avoid the topic of Eleanor.

Victoria seemed to have forgotten about it all during their conversation, as if she had never even known who Eleanor was. It brought overwhelming relief to Max but she still fought to steer clear of the sensitive subject.

Eventually, the waitress brought over a plate of a steaming burger and intricately cut French fries, and Victoria's mouth immediately began to water.

She chomped down on her food and began to devour her meal, struggling to hold back moans of delight.

Max and Chloe giggled as they watched Victoria wharf down her food like a hungry wolf.

"Damn, Vic, get a room." Chloe quipped, which was responded with the raising of a middle finger from Victoria. "Kinda reminds me of what I do with Max in bed." The punk devilishly smirked, and Victoria immediately dropped her burger back on her plate and dropped her jaw.

"Fucking gross, I'm trying to _eat_ here!" Chloe howled with laughter as Victoria wiped her mouth with a napkin.

Max clasped her face and blushed with embarrassment, hanging her head down in disbelief from Chloe's joke.

"Sorry, Mad Max. You know I can't miss up the opportunity for a joke like that." Chloe grinned from ear to ear.

"Ugh, and I thought you guys were a cute couple." Victoria took another bite from her burger which was already halfway gone.

"Hey, we can be cute in bed too. Like our first time, when Max had no fucking idea what she was doing so I had to teach her where or where not to put her fingers." Chloe casually leaned back into the chair with a wide smirk on her face.

"Oh my god, Chloe!" Max playfully shoved Chloe into the wall and her face flushed an even brighter red.

"What?! I thought it was hella adorable!" Chloe raised her hands up in excuse, struggling to contain fits of laughter at her teasing.

Max simply crossed her arms and frowned at her girlfriend who only looked back with a big smile.

 _Is that how you want it? Two can play at this game._

"Keep that up and you might never see me in bed again." Now it was Max's turn to smirk, and it was tough to not look smug in this situation. She was rather proud at her vulgar comeback and Chloe's reaction of an open jaw merely confirmed her success.

"Ooh, Max getting defensive." Chloe's playful smile turned to a genuinely concerned pout. "You're not serious about that, are you?" She leaned in and whispered into Max's ear.

"That's up to you." Max winked. It was so oddly satisfying to be the teaser instead of the teasee.

"I don't like defensive Max." Chloe's lips collapsed into a displeased frown.

 _This must be what Chloe feels like whenever she kids around with me. Feels pretty damn good. I should do this more often._

Max's smug attitude finally snuck its way onto her face, resulting in a complacent simper that painted her lips.

"You two are absolutely ridiculous." Victoria gave off an unamused expression as she tossed a fry into her mouth.

"Shut up and eat your fries, fatty." Chloe joked, only to have Victoria playfully toss a fry at the punk. She turned her head back to Max. "You still love me, right?"

"When have I ever not have?" Max smiled.

"Clever girl."

* * *

 **Victoria: hey max**

 **Max: Hey Vic, what's up?**

 **Victoria: nm, just wanted 2 thank u for today**

 **Victoria: im really lucky to have had u n chloe there 4 me**

 **Max: Aww, it's no problem ^_^**

 **Max: We both care about you**

 **Victoria: thx so much**

 **Victoria: i should go to bed**

 **Victoria: gn max**

 **Max: Good night, Vic**

 **Victoria: ^.^**

Max shut off her phone and laid back onto her pillow. Once again, she was left staring aimlessly at the ceiling with her eyes glued open.

She shifted around under her bed sheets, trying to find the ideal sleeping position, but her eyes refused to shut.

Max let out an irritated sigh and immediately began considering another walk around the campus late at night, but she felt she had used all her confidence on Victoria.

Her new solution had a name, and it came with vibrant blue hair.

 **Max: Chloe, you up?**

 **Chloe: as always**

 **Max: Please come over :(**

 **Chloe: ask without the emoji and you shall receive**

 **Max: Fine**

 **Max: Pleeeeaaaaase come over**

 **Chloe: good girl**

 **Chloe: already out the door**

Breathing out another sigh, this one of relief, Max sat up and looked around for something to occupy herself with while she waited for Chloe.

Her obvious choice was to browse the web on her laptop, so that was just what she did, but as she sat down at her desk, she noticed Warren's flash drive sitting amongst the stacks of books and homework sheets strewn about her workspace.

 _I can do a Monday Movie Night. But what to watch…_

Max felt in the mood for something light-hearted and joyful, something that would easily take her mind away from Eleanor and Victoria. At the same time, her obsession for science-fiction demanded its fix.

Keen on satisfying both desires, Max's head immediately thought of 'Back to the Future', the perfect film for both categories.

She plugged the drive in and scrolled her way through the vast collection of films until she found the movie she had been looking for and brought her laptop over to her bed, where she comfortably laid down and pressed 'play', ready to unwind for the night.

* * *

"Knock knoooock." A muffled voice came through the door and Max immediately hit 'pause' with a wide smile. She skipped to the door and put her ear against it.

"Who is it?" She teased.

"Uhh, pizza."

"I didn't order any pizza." Max giggled.

"Wow, Max, you hella suck at roleplay." Max opened the door to reveal a beaming Chloe standing before her.

Naturally, they both met halfway for a greeting kiss before Chloe stepped inside Max's room.

Chloe noticed Max's laptop screen illuminating the midnight darkness that painted her room and instantly recognized the science-fiction classic on the display.

"Oh shit, Marty motherfuckin' McFly, he's my shit!" Chloe dove onto the bed, causing the mattress springs to bounce vigorously. Max giggled as Chloe's attention was swiftly turned to the movie as if her girlfriend wasn't even there.

Max simply rolled her eyes and laid down next to Chloe, and the two let the clever quips and lovable charm of 'Back to the Future' calm them to sleep.

* * *

 **Rachel: maxitron**

 **Rachel: we gots ta hang**

 **Rachel: outside. now. no buts**

 **Max: Hold on, gotta put some stuff in my locker**

 **Max: And I like my butt :'(**

 **Rachel: i like it a lot more than u do heheheheheheheh**

 **Rachel: sorry, that wuz chloe**

 **Rachel: get your hipster face out here**

A giggle left Max's mouth as she blindly shoved in her math text book into her locker, relieving all her concern for her school supplies as she read through her texts.

Suddenly, she was shoved from behind her, toppling over onto the floor and flat onto her stomach.

Max groaned in pain as she shook her head to regain consciousness.

"Oh shit, so sorry!" Somehow, the male voice from behind her was familiar, but Max just didn't know from where.

Her head turned to see Warren Graham staring down at her with his hand reached out.

"Max? That makes this even worse! You okay?" Max took his hand and was pulled up. She dusted herself off once she regained her balance.

"I'm good, thanks." Max gave him a nervous smile. They shared a chemistry class every Thursday, and occasionally conversed from time to time as well as partner up for the odd project if the opportunity ever arose. Warren was typically the one to ask first, and Max had no reason to turn him down, there was a clear reason as to why he was in twelfth grade chemistry despite being sixteen. In all honestly, she simply enjoyed being nursed to higher marks through his knowledge, but she didn't deny his geeky charm and witty humour.

"Sorry about that, I'm a bit of a klutz sometimes." Warren nervously scratched his head, looking elsewhere to avoid eye contact.

"No worries. By the way, I still have your flash drive, in case you wanted to know."

"Oh, forgot about that thing! I might actually need that back, though."

"Sure, I can get it back to you tomorrow." Max smiled, and so did Warren. There was a rather awkward silence which followed, but Warren eventually broke it with a question.

"So, uhh…you doing anything after school? You wanna go…see a movie…? Or something?" He rubbed the back of his neck and finished with an awkward chuckle.

 _Oh dog, I saw this one coming miles away._

Though Warren was strong in science and clever quips, he lacked subtlety. His blatant feelings for Max were far from unnoticeable, and the girl never felt the necessity to inform him of her relationship with Chloe as the appropriate chance never presented itself.

"Sorry, Warren, I sorta got plans with Chloe and Rachel." Warren looked as if his whole life had been shattered with that simple rejection, and Max felt rather guilty.

"Oh. That's cool, I wasn't…being serious…or anything." He chuckled nervously again.

The awkward silence had crept its way back into their conversation, and feeling like Warren was completely out of reason to stay and that ending their encounter with a tragic rejection would be humiliating for the both of them, Max changed the topic.

"Hey, did you finish the chemistry homework from yesterday?" She asked.

"Uhh, yeah. NBD, not gonna lie." Warren boasted with his chest ever so slightly puffed forward.

"Wowser, check out the brains on Doctor Warren." Max bantered. "Is it okay if you can send me some tips later by text? I don't get any of this stuff at all."

"No problemo, Maxerino. Also, I prefer ' _Professor_ Warren'."

"Duly noted. Anyways, thanks. I gotta scram, I'll catch you later?" Warren nodded and Max waved goodbye, rather impressed with her own ability to divert the conversation and casually end it away from catastrophe.

 _Smooooooth._

Max smugly grinned to herself as she left the building beaming with self-pride.

As she stepped onto the main campus, her eyes immediately caught a speck of blue in the distance.

Chloe leaned on her truck with a cigarette between her lips, staring into the afternoon sky as puffs of smoke drifted into the air.

 _You've discovered yet another masterpiece, Max DaVinci._

Max skipped down the steps, and surprisingly, didn't catch the attention of Chloe. She seemed so lost in her daydreams and her cigarette that she was oblivious to everything around her.

Before Chloe could notice, Max pulled out her camera and stood close enough to snap a quick shot.

The flash and click was enough to catch Chloe's attention, and her puzzled attention turned to Max who was plucking the ejecting Polaroid before shaking it as she normally did.

"Another one for the wall?" Chloe asked, smiling. Max simply nodded as she brought the image close to her face.

 _I should send this to the people who make dictionaries so they have a picture to put next to the word 'perfect'._

Chloe hovered her head directly the picture, close enough so that her and Max's foreheads touched.

She gazed into Max, but then peeked over at the Polaroid, smiling.

"You like?" Max asked.

"Why do you keep asking me that question, you know the answer's _always_ 'hella fucking yes'." Chloe joked.

"Ah yes, how could I forget?" The sarcasm in Max's tone was suffocating.

Chloe gave a light peck to Max's lips before she looked into her eyes and beamed.

"Ready to go?"

"The question is 'to where?'" Max asked.

"Max, you know I'm a girl of mystery." Max rolled her eyes.

 _Here we go again. I wouldn't be surprised if it's another mosh pit._

"Why did I even bother asking?" Max hopped into the passenger seat and was disappointed to see that Rachel wasn't there. "Where's Rach?"

"I dropped her off at a corner store in town. She's gonna be grabbin' us some munchies." Chloe shifted the truck into drive and set off, leaving behind Blackwell and once again entering the world of exciting new experiences, at least for Max. "By the way, what took you so long?"

"Bumped into Warren on my way out."

 _Literally._

"He say anything?" Chloe asked, still concentrated on the road.

"Funnily enough, pretty sure he asked me on a date." Max chuckled.

"Really now? Does Warren know what would happen if he were to get his hands on _my_ Max?" Max laughed at Chloe's jokingly protective attitude.

"First of all, _your_ Max?" Max raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." Chloe playfully nodded. "All mine. Your hair, your eyes," She raised a seductive eyebrow. "Your lips…" Max fell back into her seat from laughing.

"Okay then. Secondly, pretty sure he doesn't know we're dating."

"Didn't you say you were pretty sure that he's head over heels for you?"

"Doesn't make it hard to notice, does he?"

"You know what we should totally do?" Chloe asked, the tone in her voice oozing with the eagerness to try another one of her devious plans. "You and I both hang out with him a shit ton, but we just act like friends in front of him so he thinks we're nothing more than that. Then, if he ever asks you out again, I swoop in like a fucking falcon and make out with you hella passionately." Chloe beamed with a devilish pride after explaining her master plan to torment Warren's heart.

"You never cease to amuse me." Max giggled, shuffling across the seat closer to Chloe to lean her head on her girlfriend's shoulder.

"I'm totally being serious, Max. Imagine the look on his face!" Chloe howled in hysterics at the thought of Warren's widened eyes and sunken jaw as his heart shattered into a million pieces.

"You do realize this would take a ton of time to work, right?"

"Totes worth it."

The truck eventually pulled over next to a corner store where Rachel waited patiently with two shopping bags next to her.

Chloe honked the horn which immediately caused Rachel to look up from her phone and then skip over to the truck.

She swung the door open and tossed in the bags which landed on Max's lap.

"Took you long enough." Rachel whined. "Heeeyy, Maxie." Her tone was very mellow, almost as if she was high. However, Max didn't smell any marijuana on her, so she just assumed she was in a good mood. Either that, or constantly being around Chloe had allowed her own nose to build up some sort of immunity to the smell of cannabis.

"So what'd you buy?" Max asked, peering into one of the bulky plastic bags on her lap. Inside were two family-sized bags of potato chips; one barbeque flavour and one sour cream and onion. Max's eyes widened at the immense sodium intake. "A little overkill on trans fat, don't you think?" Rachel simply scoffed at Max's criticisms.

"You can never have enough fatty goodness, especially if it's from potato chips." Rachel stuck her tongue out and winked, snatching both bags from Max and tucking them underneath the dashboard at her feet.

"What about the second bag?"

"Soda." Max brought a palm to her face, unsurprised.

"Shoulda known." Now Max was confused as ever, wondering even more as to where there were going and why the destination required so much junk food. "So is it pointless to ask where we're going?" Max questioned, expecting both girls to say 'yes'.

"I'm not gonna lie, Rach and I both have no idea where we're going." Max suspected this as some joke, but Chloe's tone suggested otherwise.

"You cereal?"

"Yep. Rach just wanted to get outta town again. I sorta did too." The truck neared the ends of Arcadia Bay's boundaries, and Max had instant flashbacks to their trip to the sawmill.

"I'm in the mood for swimming!" Rachel excitedly announced.

"None of use brought our swim suits though." Chloe informed, prompting a scoff and hand wave from Rachel.

"Who cares? I sure as hell don't."

At this point, the car had passed Arcadia Bay's exit sign, which meant the girls had once again crossed the line into unknown territory.

Despite Max's shy preference for caged life in the town, she felt a surge of excitement rush through her veins, eager to see what was in store for the day.

"You know what this drive needs? Music." Rachel snatched her phone from her pocket and plugged it into a separate speaker that rested on the dashboard. She scrunched her nose as she scrolled through her playlists, searching for the perfect song to play, and once she had found it, her eyes lit up. "Bingo!"

The silent cabin of the truck was swiftly filled with relaxing chords of 'Who Knows Who Cares' by 'Local Natives', and Max beamed upon recognizing the song.

" _I've been going down, down into the river baby…_ " Max involuntarily started singing, but with a song like this, it was impossible not to.

" _Listen to the sounds, something only God knoooows…_ " Rachel continued the introductory verse and the two girls quickly began singing in unison, howling with laughter and melodious tunes.

" _So we took a van, down to Colorado where we ran into the dead…_ " Chloe had joined in on the second verse which only brought more delight to the other two, and soon enough, the three had formed a mobile karaoke bar.

" _Took you by the haaand, knooooow…_ "

Chloe's truck was now booming with the sounds of indie tracks as it rolled down the winding side roads along the outskirts of Arcadia Bay.

The following hours primarily consisted of Rachel's vast playlist of music filling the journey, and the girls quickly forgot the fact that they had no idea where they were going; Chloe just drove.

Such a simple experience was one of the most enjoyable in Max's whole life. Just her, Rachel, and her partner in crime laughing and singing the hours away. She even forgot about her very important English assignment she had due in a few days.

School didn't matter. Nothing mattered, except for the three of them.

* * *

"Chloe, over there!" Rachel's body lunged forward in her seat and she excitedly pointed to a road sign that read 'Lake Divine' with an arrow pointing to the left.

"What? The lake?" Chloe asked, puzzled by Rachel's sudden surge of eagerness.

"Yes, I said I wanted to go swimming!" Chloe simply shrugged and obeyed her orders, and she veered the truck onto a narrow gravel path leading downhill.

Rachel's eyes were widened with anticipation while Max was growing slightly anxious. However, the thought of lake shots was rather inducing.

The truck eventually pulled into a small parking lot surrounded by dense trees with an opening ahead that seemed to lead towards the lake.

Rachel was the first to jump out of the truck, and she was quick to dart her way to the lake like a child running to an ice cream truck.

Max and Chloe simply looked at each other and laughed, shrugging and getting out of the car themselves.

The two followed Rachel and sure enough, they were greeted by the majestic sight of shimmering blue glowing under the afternoon sun.

A narrow wooden dock stretched into the water and Rachel was already at its end dipping her finger in.

"How's the water?" Max curiously asked.

"Pretty warm, actually." The words were rather enticing to Max, and she felt herself being pulled towards the lake's waters, beckoned to jump in carelessly.

 _If the water's warm, I guess it wouldn't hurt._

"Well, I'm not growing any younger!" With that, Rachel threw off her flannel and tossed her phone and wallet aside before cannonballing in, still wearing her shirt and jeans. She let out an excited whoop once she emerged from the depths.

Max stood shyly, watching Rachel float around with delight, and wave of impulse began shrouding her senses.

"Max, you're not carrying anything important on you, right?" Chloe asked from behind.

"No, everything's in my bag here. Why?" Chloe mischievously grinned as she snatched the messenger bag's sling and tossed it over Max's head before dropping it next to Rachel's items on the dock.

"Good." Chloe winked. "Have fun!" With a wide smile, Chloe pushed Max into the water, causing the brunette to immediately lose balance from the unexpected force and fall stomach-first into the lake.

The water around her created a massive splash and Max was hit by a surge of freezing cold as she landed.

She desperately emerged over the surface and let out a shriek from the cold temperatures before wiping the water from her face.

 _NOT WARM! NOT WARM_ AT ALL _!_

"Holy shit, that's _so_ cold!" Max began shivering as she kept herself afloat while Rachel and Chloe laughed around her.

"I know right! It's fucking _freezing_ in here!" Max glared at Rachel for her devious trickery.

"Chloe!" Max called through cold lips. "I am _so_ getting you back for that!"

"Come at me, Caulfield!" Chloe began arrogantly dancing at the edge of the dock, taunting Max while she stayed dry. However, her cockiness was quick to bring her negative karma as she slipped from the damp wood, clumsily falling onto her bottom and crashing into the water with a yelp.

Now it was Max's turn to laugh, and Chloe's failure was enough to make her forget how cold she was.

"Holy shitballs! Did I drive to fucking Alaska, it's so cold!" Chloe's reaction was just as loud as Max's as it echoed through the trees.

"Karma's a bitch, isn't it?" Max teased, prompting a frown from Chloe.

"Well that means karma and I have something in common!" Chloe shoved a mini tidal wave of water into Max's face, causing the girl to shield herself with her hands.

"Alright! That's it!" Max returned the attack, and the two had quickly begun a two-sided water war where the battle soundtrack consisted of childish giggles and laughter.

"Ladies!" Rachel's voice interrupted their antics and the two turned to see her crossing her arms. "I laugh at your trivial feuds! If one of you were to face the wrath of a devastating force like _me_? You wouldn't stand a chance!" Rachel puffed out her chest and put on a sarcastic deep tone, imitating a stereotypical army ruler.

With the flick of both her wrists, she shot splashes of water at both Max and Chloe, challenging them both to fight.

 _A challenger approaches?_

Max turned to Chloe and they both smirked at each other, clearly having the same idea in mind.

They proceeded to barrage Rachel at the same time, double-teaming her with blasts of cold water in quick succession. Rachel shrieked and shielded herself from the unexpected tag-team, and she began pleading for mercy through desperate cries.

"No! Stop! No fair!" She stood no chance against the fury of Max and Chloe.

In a sudden moment, Rachel dove into the water, submerging herself into the freezing depths and swimming around both girls before surfacing behind them.

She smirked mischievously, clearly smug considering her rather clever evasion tactic.

She held her hands before her, each one facing each girl in front of her, and Max then realized that they had formed a small triangle facing one another.

"Well girls, looks like we got ourselves a Mexican Standoff." Rachel feigned a thick Southern drawl, eyeing the other two warily.

"This town ain't big enough for the three of us." Chloe's accent was much more impressive than Rachel's, and if it wasn't for her bold blue hair and tank top, Max would have easily believed that it was her natural speech.

"You think you can tackle Sheriff Max?" Max's attempt at the accent was rather underwhelming as it seemed like more of a shaky mix of various different dialects.

They all darted their eyes between each other, waiting for one to make the first move.

 _Come at me. I got the reflexes of a cat._

Max's precision felt on point and almost enhanced, feeling an odd surge of almost superhuman accuracy in her vision. Her hands were at the ready, and she would be the first to draw.

"On my mark, girls." Rachel calmly spoke while maintaining her dead-eye focus.

 _Bring it._

Max looked at Chloe.

 _Come on…_

Then to Rachel.

 _Call it…_

Then back at Chloe

 _I'm so fucking ready._

"Draw!" Like a caffeine-addicted cheetah, Max's wrists reacted on the dot, sending water to both girls the instant she heard Rachel's call.

She felt the frigid water hit her from both sides, unsurprisingly being hit by her opponents.

Waves upon waves of water were thrown across their triangle, with salvos being bombarded at each of them.

Shrieks and fits of hysterics filled the breezy afternoon air and the girls drowned out the rest of the world in their immature antics and games.

As she stepped back to avoid the incoming attacks, her back foot slipped as it waded through the lake and Max toppled backwards into the water, sinking in with a loud splash.

She yelped and fell in, submerging her whole body in freezing lake water, and she flailed her arms about to try and regain balance.

She then felt a hand grab her wrist, pulling her back up to the surface as quick as she fell in, and unsurprisingly, Chloe had reached out to rescue her.

"Whoa, you okay, Sheriff Max?" Chloe asked, holding her girlfriend at her shoulders. Max wiped away the water all over her face and nodded, her heart still exhilarating from the unexpected slip.

"Yeah, I just slipped, thanks." Max panted.

"I think we can safely say that my desire for a swimming experience has been fulfilled." Rachel beamed as she circled around the water, gently wading through.

"Glad we could be of assistance." Max chuckled, slightly upset because of having to end such an amazing experience. She had strong urge to pout and whimper like a puppy.

Rachel swam to the dock and pulled herself up, letting out a loud shiver once her body had emerged from the lake.

Her clothes were entirely soaked and so was her hair, causing her shirt and pants to drip water as she walked across the narrow dock.

Max was quick to follow behind, but was grabbed by the wrist and swiveled around into Chloe's lips, engaging a wet kiss that felt different given the girls' cold lips. Max felt Chloe run her fingers through her soggy hair while her other hand gently rubbed her lower back; it was an arousing experience.

"Hey, lovebirds! That's not how you get dry!" Rachel called, bringing an end to the moment to Max's annoyance. Chloe sent Rachel the familiar middle finger as a snarky return.

"What was that all about?" Max asked, still breathless from the surprising kiss.

"Felt like ages since we last _properly_ made out, you know?" Chloe chaffed.

"We made out this morning."

"I know, _ages_!"

" _Ahem_!" Rachel shouted from the dock, standing shirtless and draining her top into the lake. Chloe groaned loudly enough for Rachel to hear her irritation.

"Coming mom!" Chloe sarcastically replied, wrapping her arm around Max and sending her one last smile before wading her way to the dock.

She climbed up and just as Rachel did, let out a shriek once her body had left the water, feeling the cool autumn winds on her icy clothes.

She reached down and pulled Max up, and to make it three-in-a-row, Max let out her verbal displeasure as soon as she was onto the dock.

Max's body shook as she wrapped herself in her own arms and chattered her teeth, desperate to find somewhere warm.

Noticing her girlfriend's discomfort, Chloe enclosed Max in her arms like a blanket to provide her warmth, as well as create another rather intimate moment.

Rachel's jaw fell open in offense, sarcastically insulted that Chloe had gone to Max first.

"Wow, where's my own personal Chloe Snuggie?" Rachel whined.

"Did you pay $14.95 plus processing and handling?" Chloe teased, raising her eyebrow. Rachel immediately scoffed.

"Duh. I even ordered for the 'Deluxe Punk Edition'!" Their little ongoing roleplay was extremely amusing for Max, and it showed the light-hearted, acting side of Chloe and Rachel's friendship.

"Ooh, sorry, we're all out. Our last one of those went to this totally hella gorgeous customer right here." Chloe pointed to Max's temple and gently kissed the back of her head. Max stuck her tongue out to further vex Rachel, feeling like she needed her own part in this play.

Rachel crossed her arms and scrunched her nose in irritation, only prompting synchronised smugness from both Max and Chloe.

"Anyways, if you guys are _that_ rowdy to just make out in the middle of a lake, I'm scared to know what'd happen if I were to left you guys to dry your clothes." Rachel joked.

"Don't worry, we'll behave." Chloe replied impishly.

"Really now?" Rachel raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Yeah, of course. We'll just take off out shirts _real_ slow like, then we're gonna dry them while we stand in our bras…" Chloe spoke really seductively and bit her lower lip, only to further tease Rachel.

"Ha ha, real funny. I'm gonna go back, I better not hear loud moaning over here." With that, Rachel turned and left through the opening in the trees in which they first entered from, and once she was gone from view, Chloe took the chance to let out a very exaggerated sexual moan, loud enough to be heard through the trees.

"Very fucking funny!" Rachel's distant voice called back, causing Chloe and Max to both howl with laughter.

Once they had settled down, Chloe let out a tired sigh and was quick to throw her tank top off, and even she was no stranger to sex now, Max still found it still arousing enough to blush when Chloe got shirtless. Chloe noticed Max stare at her and chuckled.

"Maaaax? You better not be thinking about actually fucking on a dock next to lake."

Max gave Chloe an unamused expression, snapping out of her brief daze of erotic thoughts.

Rather than denying it, Max embraced it instead, something she never thought she would ever do given her shy personality. Following along with a sexual joke? It was taboo.

"Don't look at me like you weren't thinking about it either." Max returned cleverly.

"Touché."

* * *

The campfire crackled on as it sent tiny embers that danced their way into the night sky, surrounding the girls with warmth as they sat leaned back around the tiny blaze.

Their clothes and hair had dried, but it hadn't been the fire that had done so, instead the one hour long aggravating process of inexperienced fire starting.

Kindling a flame was certainly much more difficult that it seemed, and it felt like pure luck that Chloe had managed to start a flame, albeit a modest one.

The image of Chloe jumping around and fist pumping after she had managed to succeed was still fresh in Max's mind, and it was a moment that she regret not having captured in a picture. Max smiled to herself, relishing the memories that she had created this day.

It made her realize just how drastically her life had changed ever since she met Chloe. Risks she would normally never even think of taking felt natural and almost commonplace, and something about Chloe just always persuaded her to take herself to new heights. It was amazing.

Rachel and Chloe leisurely shared a slowly dying joint in which they had offered to Max when they first rolled it. Obviously, Max was quick to deny, and it was always going to be a long shot.

"Man, this place is a fucking looker, isn't it?" Rachel's eyes ran across the surrounding trees and fireflies that danced in the darkness, intrigued by the sights and sucked away from the world around her.

"Sure is." Chloe responded, taking another drag from the now stubby joint.

"I believe you have me to thank for this totally mind-blowingly _awesome_ experience. After all, I was the one who suggested we pull in here." Rachel put a hand to her chest expecting gratitude, but all she got was just a clever return from Chloe.

"What, thank your hard-on for swimming? No thanks." Rachel scrunched her nose at Chloe and frowned.

"By the way, do you even know your way back?"

"Nope." Chloe inhaled another puff, not even caring for a split moment that she may not be able to return back to Arcadia Bay.

"So we're totally fucked?"

"Yep." Chloe let her body fall backwards onto the ground. It was if she wasn't even listening, and although Max may have placed herself in peril just by entering Chloe's truck in the afternoon, she still found her stoned girlfriend amusing to watch. She still trusted her more than anyone in the world, and even if she was ever placed in a situation where she wouldn't be able to return home, she could always make a new one with Chloe.

"Meh." Rachel laid down as Chloe did with a carefree expression and took the final drag from the blunt, tossing it off to the side carelessly.

A peaceful silence graced the three of them as both Chloe and Rachel stared blankly at the stars above them, and Max noticed just how relaxed the two were.

She shuffled across the ground and then next to Chloe, where she then laid down next to her and huddled herself into her arms. Rachel scoffed once she had glanced at the two holding each other.

"You two are just the cutest thing ever."

"It's the company we keep." Chloe replied before turning her head to gaze into Max and wink.

"Ok, I think we need some more music." Rachel retrieved her speaker and swiftly plugged her phone in. "Any suggestions?" She began scrolling through her massive playlist, and Max suddenly felt curious as to what kinds of music Rachel really had on her phone. Perhaps a secret 'Guilty Pleasures' playlist of some sort?

"I don't know, something real chill. I'm in a mellow mood." Surely, Chloe's mood had come from just having smoke half a joint with Rachel, and her tone of voice made it evident.

Rachel tapped her finger on her phone, bringing the faint sounds of electric guitars filled the air. The isolated instrument was eventually brought to life with the booming beats of drums and the backing track of a bass guitar. It was far from 'mellow'.

"This is your idea of chill? What is this?" Chloe asked, confused by the unrelated choice of song.

"Lazy Eye by Silversun Pickups. I'm sorry, I just _really_ like this band. I couldn't resist." Rachel gave off a careless smile, leaning back and bobbing her head gently to the synchronised unity of rock instruments.

Rather than complaining, Chloe found herself subtly swaying her head as well, shrugging off her initial groans and instead enjoying the song.

"Hah, thought you'd like it." Rachel chuckled as her body began to pick up a slightly more intense groove.

Unknowingly, Max had also started gently tilting her head left to right to the tempo of the track, enjoying the memorable guitar riffs and slightly androgynous voice of what she assumed was the male lead singer.

" _I've been waiting for this silence, aaaall niiiight long."_ Rachel began singing along, really starting to let loose at this point. She leapt up to her feet and began jumping around with her hands waving in the air, thrashing her head back and forth causing her blonde hair to be thrown around wildly.

Chloe quickly followed, pulling Max up with her by surprise. Before she knew it, she had become a part of their new exclusive outdoor mosh pit, and just as she had done back at the Firewalk concert, Max began throwing herself about, but in her own little shy hipster way. It was a cute style of head bobbing and body movement with awkward hand motions that all formed into an adorable, smiling spectacle.

The silent night was broken by the echoing sounds of laughter and music reverberating through the surrounding trees, and for that moment, the world around them disappeared into a negligible speckle that had been shoved to the back of their thoughts.

This was life that Max wouldn't have ever dreamed of weeks ago, but despite that fact, she had come to realize it was the life she so desperately needed. Everything had fallen into place like a puzzle; unforgettable experiences, kindling of friendships anew, and the love of her life. It was more than perfect, a dream turned to reality. Something that Max had only seen in stereotypical fiction brought to life by her one and only blue angel. She couldn't think of anywhere else to be. Everything she ever needed was right there around her.

Max was alive.

* * *

 **A/N: I genuinely have nothing in particular to say in this A/N, but since I've never missed one, I might as well not break customs.**

 **I guess I'll take the space to thank you all for the great support on this fic. Still plenty more ideas to come and more fluff to indulge.**

 **Stay awesome!**


	13. Diary Entry 2

**Chapter 13: Diary Entries 09/25/2013 – 10/16/2013**

 **09/25/2013**

Hey Max, remember when you said you were gonna get back to writing in your journal? Whatever happened to that promise, hm?

Chloe and I have been really moving forward with our relationship, and I don't mean that in a 'weekly romantic date at the park' or 'love story films every Saturday while we feed each other grapes and wine', I mean more of a 'invade mosh pits and thrash' or 'swim at freezing lakes with our clothes still on'. By the way, the latter happened yesterday.

Everything's just been one crazy rollercoaster ride ever since Chloe and I got together, and if that sounds like I'm complaining, I'm not.

I don't think I've ever had so much fun in my life, it's like something out of a millennial stereotype. Didn't think I'd enjoy it that much.

That's not to say we don't share our intimate moments. Chloe certainly has her soft side that I can't get enough of. I'm glad to be with someone who's experienced with the whole 'love' thing. Hah, back when I thought that'd be a myth for me. Love? What's that? Sounds like a salad dressing.

Imagine that though. Love salad dressing. Hey, what kinda dressing do you like on your salad?

Love.

Man, I really like digressing, do I?

Onto a more touchy subject, Chloe was my first time doing the you-know-what.

You see it in the movies but nothing really prepares you for it. Words can't describe the feeling AT ALL.

Like I said to Chloe, if my parents found out I lost my virginity to another girl, who knows how they'd react? Happiness? Pride? The burning urge to disown me? Maybe that last one is a little bit overkill.

Back to the topic of that lake adventure, I can still feel how icy that water was even now. I might have a cold but who cares? At least I can skip physics class.

I guess my body isn't used to letting loose so late at night because I dropped dead a little after Rachel started our own campfire mosh pit.

I just remember half waking up being carried down the dorm halls by Chloe who just looked down at me and smiled. I guess she just tucked me in after that because I woke up this morning in my bed and not in the back of her truck. I just thought that was really sweet of her.

Then again, she owed me for having to tuck her in when she was completely wasted after taking me to some sketchy mosh pit at a sawmill outside Arcadia Bay. Not complaining about that, by the way, I REALLY let myself go nuts that day.

Oh boy, if Max from a few weeks past saw me now, it's safe to say her jaw would have made contact with the floor. Maybe through the floor.

Ooh, another thing is my birthday. Chloe prepared this massive plan for my special day, and she even gave me her real father's old instant camera. It's the most perfect thing ever and I love every second of when I use it. I almost tear up every time I see it.

She even got me Holy Fire by Foals which I've been desperately drooling over for god knows how long. In fact, I'm listening to it right now as I write. You don't have my number…

I should also mention that was the night my V-Card got punched. One hell of a final birthday gift, am I right?

I still get giddy when I think about what else Chloe has in store. Hanging out with her and Rachel is never an unexciting experience and I always frown like a little kid when it ends. See, I'm pouting right now just thinking about it.

Oof, I'm getting hella tired. Even though I just got back from class, for some reason my bed just looks so damn attractive right now.

Did I just use hella even in my writing? Chloe really has shoved that into my vocabulary, huh?

* * *

 **10/01/2013**

October! My favourite month.

Leaves always look the best this time of year and weather is just the right temp for hoodies. My style.

I don't know, something about autumn just makes it the most romantic season for me, and I'm just imagining taking long walks through Arcadia Bay with Chloe, bitching about life and laughing at each other's jokes. But then again, given that it's Chloe, we'd probably stop by a burning building and save some puppies just for fun. I guess my pre-school dream of becoming a superhero might become true.

Not only do I love the warm colours which make for some AMAZING shots, but Halloween is fast approaching, which means I can wharf down mountains of candy with a valid excuse.

"Max! Your teeth are completely gone! What happened?!"

"Halloween happened, mom. Halloween happened."

Fuck, now I really want a Snickers bar.

I'm back, I got a Snickers bar from the vending machine back at school. Thank God for the sugar machines of Blackwell.

Now that my hunger for sweets has been fulfilled, I might as well keep you up to date on my adventures with Chloe.

To be honest, it's been a pretty chill week since I last wrote. We did typical couple stuff; go out for lunch, watch a late night movie at the theatre, etc, etc.

I've also been teaching Chloe a little guitar recently. After about an hour of telling her how to pluck a string, she finally managed to play an off tempo version of the main riff of Sweet Child O' Mine. Although, if I didn't know that was what she was going for, I would have assumed she was trying to play Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star again.

I gotta give her some credit though, she actually seems genuinely interested and wanting to play more, and teaching her has been so much fun.

Hm, maybe if she manages to learn quickly, we can have Rachel pick up some drumsticks and form a band.

Now I just need to think of a band name…

Nope, I got nothing. In the meantime, I'll just finish my Snickers.

* * *

 **10/09/2013**

Being sick sucks. Really sucks.

I picked up a pretty bad cold last night or something, and it may or may not have been from skinny dipping in the Blackwell pool without the heater on.

I have no idea why I thought that would be a good idea.

At least Chloe was willing to skip class to take care of me, but then again, any excuse to skip class is one Chloe Price will always take. I think I even saw her do a little fist bump when she turned her back to me for a second. She's just so fucking cute sometimes.

She's gone out to go get me some tea from the Two Whales, so I decided to take the opportunity to scratch up some thoughts in ye ol' journal.

Man, if Chloe ever saw this thing, she'd probably break apart with laughter then walk out the door, never to be seen again. I'd prefer to keep my insecurities to myself.

Now that I think about it, Chloe's been gone for an awfully long time. I bet with myself 20 bucks that she's gone to get pot, I heard her say she was running out two days ago.

…

Update: I was right. I owe myself a twenty.

* * *

 **10/11/2013**

Holy Jesus shitballs this is the most adorable thing I've ever read.

Signed, Chloe the Curious.

* * *

 **Max: Chloe…**

 **Chloe: yes sweets?**

 **Max: Did you read my journal?**

 **Chloe: no! of course not! how dare you accuse me of such a thing?!**

 **Max: "Holy Jesus shitballs this is the most adorable thing I've ever read."**

 **Chloe: i have no idea what ur talking about. that was not me i swear**

 **Max: "Signed, Chloe the Curious."**

 **Chloe: ok maybe it was me**

 **Max: Oh. My. GOD. .**

 **Chloe: can i read it more often?**

 **Max: NO**

 **Chloe: btw, i bet ur just hella jelly of my sweet child o mine cover**

 **Max: I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU**

 **Chloe: here max, have a snickers. youre not u when youre hungry.**

 **Max: OMG STAHP**

* * *

 **10/16/2013**

School really likes to kick my ass, doesn't it? Finally the damn weekend but noooo, Ms. Hoida finds it appropriate to dump a truckload of papers due next Monday. How about I hand YOU a six page essay on the history of English literature? Would you like that?

Whatevs, I guess I got about thirteen seconds of free time that I would have spent with Chloe, but she's at the airport having to pick up her uncle. WHY DOES LIFE SUCK?

Maybe I could talk to Kate. I haven't seen her in a bit but she says that she's been struggling with way more assignments than an 18 year-old should have to deal with at a time. Poor bunny.

Oh well, I guess that just leaves more room for me and my thoughts.

For some reason, I've been thinking about my parents. Not only do I desperately miss them, but it's about time I tell them about Chloe and me.

But how do you tell your parents that their daughter who they thought was straight for eighteen years of their lives is actually living it up in some hick town barfing up rainbows?

Would they be happy for me? Or just mad? Things like that just make me think that I'm better off not telling. But something as big as my first serious relationship, especially with another girl, isn't something that should be kept hidden away. They'd probably be mad at me for keeping it a secret, it's bad enough I haven't told them for a month.

GROOAAN, this is too much to think about. I'm going to bed.

* * *

 **A/N: Another journal chapter for you guys! A lot has happened since the last one and the story jumps almost a month between chapters 12 and 14 so I thought it'd be appropriate to fill in the gaps. Always fun to write these, much more different than the standard stuff. Let me know if you wanna see more.**


	14. Milestones

**Chapter 14: Milestones**

 _Agh, what the fuck?_

The peculiar touch of lips and a tongue was what awoke Max from her slumber, and when her eyes fluttered open, she was greeted with the sight of Chloe over her with her head buried in her neck.

"Chloe?! Wha-what are you doing?!" Max exclaimed, her grogginess being erased entirely due to Chloe's antics.

"Nooothiiiing." Chloe teased, momentarily lifting her head off to speak before diving back in.

Max groaned loudly then giggled, giving up due to her lack of strength.

"Do you mind explaining why you're sucking on my neck?" Max asked.

"Don't you know what today is?" Chloe asked, prompting a second of thought from Max as she racked her memory to try and figure out what the occasion was.

"Thursday?" Chloe was taken aback and she gasped at Max's answer in insult.

"How could you forget?!" There was evident sarcasm in Chloe's voice, but Max still felt a slight pang of guilt for her ignorance.

"Sorry! Can you tell me?" Max's tone was apologetic, and that seemed to amuse Chloe. The blue haired punk leaned into Max's ear and whispered.

"Happy one month anniversary." She gave a light peck on Max's ear and drew back with a wide grin, and the brunette now felt even guiltier for forgetting such a milestone.

"Oh shit! I can't believe I forgot, babe, I'm so sorry!" It was baffling to realize that a month had already passed so quickly, it felt like just yesterday that the two were standing atop the cliff side by the lighthouse watching the sunset.

"You're so cute. It's totally fine, I almost forgot too." Chloe laughed. "In fact I woke up at five in the morning and realized that it was our anniversary." She admitted with a nervous chuckle.

"So looks like we both don't have any gifts for each other." Max noticed, prompting a nod from Chloe.

"Hey, why don't we both go out shopping later after school together?" Chloe suggested, causing Max's eyes to light up with anticipation.

"That sounds awesome." They both kissed with wide smiles on their faces, proud and excited for their plans for the day.

"Ugh, we should probably get ready for class." Chloe looked back at the clock on Max's desk and frowned.

"I can't." Max remarked.

"Why not?"

"'Cause I have a big Chloe on top of me." Chloe laughed after she had realized that she had been on top of Max the whole time.

"I'm like a blanket. The cuddliest blanket of all." Chloe boasted jokingly, before letting go of the weight in her arms and legs and toppling her entire body onto Max, prompting a grunt from the poor victim.

"Chloeeee!" Max pleaded through pressured lungs, wheezing out the word.

"Cuddle your blanket!"

"What?!"

"Cuddle meeee!" Chloe demanded, shaking her body left and right and causing Max even more distress.

With another loud groan, Max wrapped her arms around Chloe's waist and snuggled her head into her neck, sparking a maniacal laugh from Chloe.

"Thank you." With that, she rolled off of Max and onto the floor, spreading her arms and legs out across the carpet as if she was making a snow angel. Max giggled at the sight of her newly installed rug.

"Chloe, you can't just lay there and sleep forever." Chloe frowned at Max's words.

"But mooooom, school is booooriiiiing." Chloe feigned a childish whine.

"Alright, you can stay there. I guess I'll have to take a shower on my own then…" Max's impish remark caused Chloe's body to shoot upwards like a cat. She threw her body onto Max's and wrapped her arms around her, clinging on like a sad puppy. Max laughed at Chloe's childish, yet adorable antics. "Are you gonna behave?" Chloe gave Max a pair of glistening puppy eyes and nodded. "Good."

Chloe let go and Max stood up from her bed before grabbing her shower supplies along with a fresh set of clothes to wear.

She sent one final mischievous glance to Chloe and winked before heading out the door with the punk following close behind eagerly.

A month of being involved in an intimate same-sex relationship had taught Max many things, and with Chloe being her significant other of all people, most of the things she learned involved plenty of mischief. At this point, she had grown accustomed to making her own sexual jokes and teases like Chloe frequently did. If only her parents saw her now.

With her girlfriend right on her tail, Max skipped down the hallway and into the showers, hopping into one of the empty stalls and not hesitating before throwing off her clothes. Chloe did just the same and the two stared at each other naked before plunging into each other's lips viciously.

"You know, I'm getting really used to this morning routine." Max joked with a hint of seriousness.

"Oh shut up with your smartass mouth." Chloe quipped as a return before diving back in.

After a very intimate shower that involved no shortage of body contact, Max and Chloe stepped out of the shower feeling refreshed and significantly aroused.

"You think we have time for breakfast?" Chloe asked as she finished throwing on her tank top.

"Baby, we just spent more than half an hour touching each other in the shower, I doubt we have time." Max was far from complaining, in fact, she somewhat wished that they had spent more time in the stall.

"You never know." Chloe grinned.

* * *

"So what are you gonna buy me?" Chloe asked with her arm slung around Max's shoulder as they strolled down the sidewalk by a row of shops in central Arcadia Bay. The streets were bustling with residents doing their afternoon shops as cars rolled down the neighbourhood.

"I can't spoil the surprise, dummy." Max joked. "I just know it's probably gonna be a bit tricky to find somewhere that sells pot around this part of town." Chloe let out a hearty laugh.

"Alright, this is where we part ways I'm afraid." Chloe stopped next to music shop and looked down at Max.

"Can we stay together just a little more?" Max pouted, jokingly, yet seriously longing for a little more time just walking with Chloe.

"It's fine, Maxaroni. We can meet right back here at six, that should give you more than enough time to get me something amazeballs."

"Fine." Max groaned. "But before I go…" In a single, fluid motion, Max grasped Chloe's face by her cheeks and pulled her in for one final kiss. Many of the passing pedestrians clearly noticed their little scene but obviously, that didn't matter at all.

They both drew back with wide smiles on their lips, and synchronised giggles left their mouths as they both stood intimately close.

"Does that satisfy your needs?" Chloe joked, prompting a smile and a nod from Max. The punk laughed and ruffled the brunette's hair. "You're just the cutest thing ever sometimes. I'll see you back here soon, okay?"

"Got it." The two exchanged one last hug before separating in opposite directions, and once she was out of Chloe's sight, a mild sense of panic began rushing into her head.

 _Okay, Max, just calm down. I'm sure you'll be able to get something great for Chlo, just think._

Max shut her eyes and drowned out the world to concentrate on her thoughts.

 _Do I go for something funny? No, but it's an anniversary gift, it should be romantic or something. Or is that just in movies? Ugh._

Max paced in circles struggling to find the perfect gift idea for her partner, and it made her realize just how difficult it was to think of something.

 _Is this how Chloe felt for my birthday? Wowser._

Max smacked her temple with her palm repeatedly in frustration, examining the various shops that lined the street.

 _Wait a minute…_

An idea had popped into Max's head, one that was rather risky given the circumstances. However, with desperation crawling its way into domination, Max had no other choice.

She retrieved her phone and ran her finger down the screen and scrolled down the long list of contacts archived on her device, mentally reading the names until finally finding the one she had been looking for: 'Mom'.

A final wave of uncertainty made Max hesitate; her mom was still oblivious to Max's relationship with Chloe, which meant the sudden, out-of-the-blue question of anniversary gift ideas to her mother whom she hadn't contacted in nearly a month felt like it would raise automatic suspicion.

This was a gamble indeed, but it eventually became a gamble Max was willing to take, and with gasp of air, she dialed the number and just hoped for the best.

"Max? Sweetie, is that you?" The familiar voice of her mother brought a sense of comfort and homesickness to Max, almost causing her to forget the task at hand.

"Hey mom, it's me."

"Oh my word, Maxine, we haven't spoken in _ages_! How are you?" It was a typical flood of worries and concerns from her mother, and Max was far from surprised.

"I've been doing well. Sorry I haven't been able to call, school work has been rough." That was a slight lie, most of Max's time had been occupied by Chloe and most of her schoolwork was left untouched or lazily finished. Somehow, she was still passing her classes with moderate success.

"I feel you. I'm just glad you were able to take some time out of your busy schedule to call me. Oh, speaking of which, hang on."

"Wait!" Max called out over the phone to halt her mother but it was unfortunately too late; it seemed she had already gone to do something else, further delaying Max's intentions.

 _She went to get dad, didn't she?_

"Honey? How are you?" Max's father's rough voice came over the phone.

 _Knew it._

"Hey daddy. I'm good." Max replied politely, using her last ounces of remaining patience.

"That's great to hear. School's been throwing punches at you?" Max's father was a burly man, but when it came to his only daughter, he was able to turn himself into a complete softy.

"Yep. Loads of homework and assignments. Totally blows."

"I understand. Lemme tell you, back when I was your age, I'd get a ton…"

 _Are you cereal right now? Dad, I love you to bits but I'm in a bit of a romantic crisis._

Max clasped her face as her father continued to drone on about his high school life, and she didn't bother to pay attention, partially because she had heard this story countless times before.

"…so I totally understand how it feels to be put in that situation." Her father finally finished, giving Max another chance to push forward.

"Yeah, really sucks. Dad, can you put mom back on the phone, I gotta ask her a question." She felt rather guilty shutting her father down like that, but she would make it up to him eventually, and with time ticking by and Max intending on making every second until 6:00PM count, she let patience fly out the window.

"Oh uhh, sure, sweetie."

"Thanks dad." A few moments passed before her mother returned to the line.

"What is it, Maxine?" Max slightly grimaced at the second time her mother had used her full name, the one that she had a rather strong distaste for.

"I know this may seem a bit random, but…" She took a deep breath as she prepared herself for the upcoming risk she was taking. "What did dad get you for your one month anniversary?" There was a momentary pause, likely her mother taking a second to assess the sudden question.

"You're right, that _was_ random. But uhm…I believe he got me some very beautiful gold earrings. Why do you ask?" The last question was probably expected, but it still sent a shock through Max.

"Oh uhh, just…asking…for a friend…" Max scolded herself for her terrible attempt at a lie.

 _Could that have sounded any less like a total complete lie?_

"Oh, I see. Max, are you going to be busy later today?" Max breathed out a mental sigh of relief once her mother swiftly changed the topic.

"Not today, but definitely tomorrow."

"I would love to see your face again, and so would your father. We could try that thing you use on the computer, the one with the 'S' logo." Max was beyond confused at her mother's ineffective descriptions, raising her eyebrow in bewilderment.

"What?" Max giggled.

"That thing on the computer where you can call other people? With the face camera?" Max burst into laughter once she realized that her mother had been describing Skype the entire time. Her lack of knowledge on computers made Max remember just how different her parents were from each other in certain aspects.

"Yeah, that'd be great. I gotta go now, but I'll text you later, okay?" Max excused, ending the conversation.

"Sure, sweetie. Stay safe, okay?"

"I will. Love you, mom. Tell dad I love him too." She finally hung up and released a heavy breath that she had been storing in her chest for the entire call.

 _Earrings, huh? Is Chloe even an earring type of girl?_

Max let out a frustrated groan. She had taken quite the risk talking to her mother about something as suspicious as anniversary gifts out of nowhere and it hadn't even lead to anything she could use.

 _Chloe wearing earrings? She'd probably just get her ears pierced instead._

Max smacked her temple repeatedly with her palm.

 _Doofus! Waste of time!_

Max explored her surroundings. There were dozens of options for her to choose from, but nothing of her selection screamed 'Chloe' to her. In other words, nothing seemed perfect.

With her hope dwindling but determination still pushing her forward, Max analyzed her options.

 _Clothes? No._

 _Jewelry? No._

 _Books? Hell no._

Max's head fell down toward the ground and her shoulders sunk. It was hopeless. Chloe likely already had Max the perfect gift while she was still standing around empty handed. Desperation and sorrow filled the girl's head.

 _It's official. I'm the worst girlfriend ever._

However, she knew that giving up would be the worst possible option, so she shook her head and began roaming the street for any possible option that wouldn't humiliate her and potentially ruin the relationship.

Minutes passed and Max had paced the whole street up and down to no avail. Everything around her seemed so meaningless and empty, lacking any sense of romance or anniversary celebration.

She was beginning to consider desperate conclusions; perhaps getting Chloe gift card to a Chinese restaurant would at least be better than returning to her empty handed.

She turned the corner around to the adjacent street to find some privacy to dig through her contacts list again in the hopes of finding someone to ask for advice, but she was instead greeted by salvation.

The perfect gift. It was right there.

It had sentiment. It was romantic. It was everything Max was looking for.

Or at least she hoped.

* * *

Max patiently waited by the music shop that Chloe and her had agreed to meet at. Her phone read 6:12 PM, twelve minutes past their rendezvous time. However, Chloe had a habit of being 10-20 minutes late for everything, so 6:00 usually meant 6:20.

 _Maybe I should ask to meet at 5:30 next time, that way she'd be on time. Wait, but then she'd still be late…Ugh, time is stupid._

Max was far from mad, of course. She had grown to be used to Chloe's typical lateness which had been rather common so far in her school schedule.

Also, it gave Max to think about her gift.

 _Will she even like it? Now that I think about it, this is so cheesy._

Max scolded herself for her overly self-critical attitude.

 _Don't sell yourself so short, Max, I'm sure she'll love it. Maybe if she were a character from some unoriginal soap opera…_

Her fingers were crossed and her head was high, and all she had to do now was wait.

Moments later, a head of blue peeked its way around the corner and faced Max. The brunette sent an unamused, but unsurprised expression.

"Miss. Price, fashionably late as usual." Max greeted.

"Wouldn't be me if I wasn't" Chloe replied with a wink. Peering from behind her back was a sizeable box gift wrapped in a glistening salmon wrapping paper.

 _Shit! Her gift is huge and mine is microscopic._

"Is that my gift?" Max asked despite knowing the answer.

"Maaaybeee." Chloe teased.

"So do we open them now or-" Chloe cut Max off before she could continue.

"Shh. We open them at dinner."

 _Dinner, huh? That sounds nice._

"Let me guess, another feast at the Two Whales?" Max asked with an arched eyebrow and a smirk.

"As much as I know you _love_ mom's food," Chloe said sarcastically. "I got us reservations at a very nice Italian restaurant not too far from town."

Max's eyes widened at the surprise date plan from Chloe. She had never seen the bluenette as the type to go to fancy restaurants wearing formal clothing, but then again, formal clothing had yet to be mentioned at all.

"That sounds awesome. Let's go." Max said eagerly.

"What, in these clothes?" Chloe gestured to her own tank top and ripped jeans as well as Max's hoodie and t-shirt. "Sorry Max, but this is a pretty fancy place. In these getups we'd look like hobos. I'll drop you off at Blackwell and you can get dressed in something mouth-wateringly delicious, then we can go." Max nodded in agreement, and with that the two headed off for the truck.

* * *

 _This is what I get for never buying anything other than hoodies and tees. Fuck my life._

Max stared blankly at her wardrobe which was stacked with her generic attire of coats and jeans, panicking at the lack of anything formal.

She angrily slammed the closet door shut, searching around her room for anything, even contemplating on whether or not she should just wear her curtains to the date.

 _Biggest date of your life and you got nothing to wear, great job Max._

Then, a light bulb sparked in her head.

 _Rachel's my size._

She bolted out the door and ran down the hall, nearly tripping on her own foot on the way to Rachel's room. Once she arrived, she furiously slammed on the door hard enough to break it down.

 _Please be home, please be home…_

Max exhaled a sigh of relief when the door swung open to reveal a confused Rachel in her pajamas while holding a bag of microwave popcorn in her free hand.

"Max? What's going on?" She asked, tossing some of the snack into her mouth.

"I need your help. _Bad_." Max pleaded.

"Sure, what do you need?"

"Chloe and I are having our one month anniversary dinner in an hour and I have _nothing_ to wear, Rach. I have nothing!" Max's voice began shaking with panic, and the other girl tossed her bag of popcorn safely to the side and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Okay, Max, calm down. I can get you sorted." Max's eyes lit up at the relieving sound of Rachel's words.

"You can borrow something for tonight."

 _That's what I was hoping._

"Thank you so much."

"Not a problem, girl. I got your back. Also, it's so cute to see you freaking out over you and Chloe's anniversary. Congrats, by the way."

"Thanks. It's hard to believe it's been a month already."

"Time flies when you're in love."

"Isn't it when you're having fun?"

"Not in my mind it isn't." Rachel flung open her wardrobe and put to fingers to her chin in contemplation.

She scanned her vast collection of clothing, visualizing which looks would best suit her model as well as the situation. The sight of Rachel's clear love for fashion brought back the memory of the mosh pit when she had purchased Max her first set of punkwear.

Max had worn it occasionally, most of the time to please Chloe. She remembered the fond memory of wearing it to one of their more casual dates. She also remembered the sex that followed that night, and how delighted she was when she saw Chloe's fantasy fulfilled.

She snapped back to Rachel, who had already picked out a small selection of clothes for her.

She held up a grey cardigan and black V-neck shirt and handed them to Max, who began to feel a sneaking sense of anxiety. She certainly trusted Rachel and her fashion sense, clearly it had been proven back at the sawmill. Despite that, Max was still worried that her appearance may not appeal to Chloe.

 _No Max, you'll be fine. Besides, Rachel's picking your clothes, that's good, right?_

Max bit her lower lips nervously as she watched Rachel hand her a pair of dark wash blue jeans.

"Perfect. Now go get changed and get back to me ASAP." Rachel shooed Max out of her room and hurried her along, and Max quietly obliged and returned to her room to change.

Once in the solitude of her own room, Max stared at the clothes before and immediately began questioning herself

 _It looks pretty casual, like me. That's a plus. But this is Rach's clothes and I could never pull of this kinda look like Miss America over there._

She shook her head to wipe away the thoughts and tried her hardest to replace them with confidence.

She threw on her new outfit hastily as to not keep Rachel waiting any longer, and when she had put on her cardigan, she examined herself in the mirror, rotating her body right and left to observe her new look.

It was certainly different, but then again, anything that wasn't a t-shirt and jeans was different to Max. Rachel certainly knew her way around outfit selection as even Max felt a hint of narcissism as she scanned herself.

Nodding to herself in approval, she hurried back to Rachel's room and was greeted by a wide grin.

"God, I am a fucking fashion genius. Girl, you look amazing." Max slightly blushed at the flattery.

"Thanks. Do you think Chloe will like it?"

"If she doesn't, I will tear her heart right out of her chest." Max ever so slightly jumped at the threat.

"So am I ready?"

"Hell no! Have you never been on a date to a fancy restaurant?" Rachel asked with an arched eyebrow.

"No, Chloe and I have just been going to the Two Whales all the time. In fact, I'm kinda confused as to why she suddenly wants to go somewhere nice for a change."

"Wow Max, are you saying that the Two Whales isn't nice?"

"Shut up, you know what I meant. But what else do I need?" Max's question prompted Rachel to turn to her makeup table and snatch a stick of lipstick to hold in front of the brunette.

"Oh." It was all Max could let out as the waves of nervousness had returned to flood her head once again. "I don't know, Rach…I'm not so fond of makeup…"

"Oh come on, girl. You want to look hella beautiful for Chloe, right?" Max sighed but nodded despite knowing where Rachel was heading with the argument. "Then you gotta try something new! Don't worry, I won't go so hardcore on you and try and keep it subtle."

It didn't take long for Max's desire to please Chloe's eyes to outweigh her shyness.

* * *

"Aaaand, voila!" Rachel beamed with pride as she placed the final touches on her masterpiece.

Max had been transformed, but not to an extent that made her new makeup seem excessive. She looked far more mature, more sophisticated. She was even surprised at how much difference a little makeup made. She was certainly still Max, but one that gave off a hint of change.

"So?" Rachel stood expecting a verdict from Max as she observed herself in the mirror.

"You really outdid yourself, Rach. I'm really impressed."

"This sly cat knows more than is perceived." Rachel placed a hand on her chest with pride. "Oh shit! It's almost time, Chloe will be here soon." Rachel hurried Max out the door but stopped just as she was leaving.

"Thanks Rach. I seriously owe you one." Max thanked, truly grateful for everything Rachel had just done for her night.

"Bring my cardigan back in one piece and we can call it even." Rachel winked. "Now go, don't keep her waiting."

* * *

"Madam, your carriage has arrived." Chloe's muffled feign English accent crept its way into Max's room following a pattern of knocks on her door.

Max giggled and opened the door and the moment she laid her eyes on Chloe, her jaw dropped.

Chloe stood in a black shirt covered by stylish cropped black leather jacket, paired with a black miniskirt over a pair of leggings. Despite her full set of midnight coloured apparel which may have seemed dreary on paper, to Max it was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. Her outfit was topped off with her signature navy blue beanie, and she stood casually with a smile on her face at Max's doorway.

Her look showed a more grown up side of Chloe, but one that didn't stray far from her punk aesthetic. She still looked rebellious, but a rebel who seemed willing to cooperate if she needed to.

The brunette gulped hard, soaking in every detail of her girlfriend's magnificence.

"Max, you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost." Chloe waved her hand in front of Max's eyes, snapping her back.

"Uhh, yeah…I'm…I'm awesome…" Her words were breathless and lazily selected as her mind was still too occupied on Chloe's appearance.

"By the way, you look…amazeballs." Chloe wrapped her arms around Max's waist, pulling the girl closer.

"Thanks. You uhh…you look…" Max struggled to find the right word to describe Chloe. Her mind was spiraling out of control, not being able to focus on a single thought that didn't involve Chloe. "… _wowser_ …" Chloe laughed.

"That's the first time someone's ever said I looked wowser." Max realized what she had just said and cringed.

"Sorry. You look stunning, Chlo." Chloe gave Max a warm smile.

"Glad I meet up to your expectations."

"Infinitely _beyond_ my expectations." Chloe held out her hand for Max to grab.

"Shall we, miss?" Max chuckled at the brief return of Chloe's English accent.

"Certainly."

* * *

The dimly lit environment of the rather quiet restaurant was somewhat daunting to Max. It had been quite some time since she had visited an establishment of this prestige, but it was her first time visiting one for a date.

Despite the fact she had crossed the one month mark on her relationship with Chloe, she still oddly felt nervous even though she had been on countless dates with her before.

"Reservation under Price." Chloe informed the formally dressed lady at the front desk, and after a few moments, the woman gestured the girls to follow her.

They were escorted to a small booth near the corner of the restaurant that was sparkling with its cleanliness. They both sat and simply stared at each other for a brief moment, either of them not needing to speak.

"It's hard to believe it's been one month since I hooked up with this beautiful creature." Chloe broke the silence with another one of her famous quips.

"Beautiful creature? Where?" Max jokingly darted her eyes around the room, pretending as if she thought Chloe was referring to someone entirely different.

"Oh shush. But seriously, I just want you to know that this past month has been the greatest month of my life…ever since my dad died." Max was beyond touched by Chloe's words and she felt an oncoming wave of emotions building up in her chest.

"Chloe…" Max started, but she didn't really know how to continue after hearing something like this.

"You don't have to say anything, Max. I just wanted to know. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me and I'd never just say something like that." Chloe took Max's hands into her own from across the table. "I love you more than anything on this planet, Max."

"Well…I love you more than anything in this universe, so beat that, Price." Max giggled.

"Dammit, you dork. You ruined my mushy moment! It took me _ages_ to build that up!" Chloe joked, prompting only more laughter from Max. "You know me, I'm bad with lovey-dovey cheesy shit. My body has to physically build up mush to say this stuff."

They both shared laughs before staring at each other quietly once again. It was just a typical desire for Max; when she saw Chloe's face, she just needed to kiss her.

"Come here." Max softly called, and the two leaned over the table to tenderly kiss and cherish the moment.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." A female voice came from beside them, and Max and Chloe both halted their moment to face a grinning waitress holding a small notepad and pen. "Are you ready to order?" It reminded Max that she and Chloe had been too busy enjoying each other's company that they had completely forgotten about deciding what to eat.

"Oh, shit. Sorry, can you give us a little more time." Chloe sent an apologetic smile and the waitress simply nodded and took her leave, sure to return soon. "Right, where were we?" Chloe smirked.

"Come on, we really should decide on what to eat." Chloe groaned at Max's words.

"Fine. But if I ever want to taste test your food…" Max rolled her eyes at Chloe's blatant teasing.

"I'll be sure to expect it."

* * *

"Man, I am stuffed." Max groaned as she placed a hand on her stomach.

"I am never eating pasta again." Chloe grumbled but only before picking off a leftover piece of penne pasta on her plate with her fingers and sliding it into her mouth, prompting a laugh from Max.

"So should we go?" Max asked.

"Hell no, we still gotta open our presents."

"Oh right, forgot." Chloe reached under the table next to her feet where she had kept her present the whole time, while Max retrieved her own from beside her.

Max's box was rather flat, but along with her larger gift, she also had a very sentimental and special gift that she had been rather nervous about. She wondered if Chloe would like it at all, and although she had the thought in her head that was sure that she would, the lingering dread that her girlfriend would despise her gift still remained.

"I'll go first." Chloe offered, pushing her box across the table towards Max.

 _Wowser, that's a pretty big box._

Max felt daunted by the sizeable gift, still worried that hers wasn't good enough.

Regardless, she carefully peeled the wrapping off to reveal a navy blue box inside, covered by a large lid. Max reluctantly lifted it to be greeted by the sight of a very stylish khaki coloured messenger bag with brown straps. She gasped at the sight and lifted the bag up and examined every detail of it, admiring every inch of its beauty.

"Do you like it?" Chloe asked biting her lower lip.

"I absolutely _adore_ it." Max responded, still keeping her eyes on her new bag.

"That's great. I saw how battered up your old one was so I thought it'd be appropriate to get you some new kit."

"Thank you so much, I love it."

"Wait, look what's inside, I left a little something." Confused but willing to oblige, Max dug inside what she assumed was an empty bag to have her fingers make contact with a long wrapped bar of some sort. She pulled it out and could only pull off a very unamused expression as she realized that she had grabbed a large Snickers bar from inside.

Chloe could barely stifle her fits of laughter as she witnessed Max's reaction to her light-hearted second gift which referenced the notes from her journal in which Chloe had secretly read.

"Ha ha, very funny." Max sarcastically said, holding the candy bar up.

"I'm sorry, I saw this sitting at the corner store next to the bag shop and I couldn't resist." Chloe admitted through laughs.

With a very audible sigh, Max gently placed the bag back into its home inside the box and tucked it away next to her on the empty space on her seat. Assuming it was her turn now, she took a deep breath and handed the flat rectangular box to Chloe.

With a wide grin on her face, she rattled the box like a child on Christmas morning but was disappointed to not hear anything coming from the box. Regardless, she tore the package open eagerly and carelessly, unlike Max's more mindful approach.

Inside Chloe's gift was a box as well, and she let out a sharp chuckle once she saw its contents. She held up a dark grey tank top with a large image of a green marijuana leaf decorating its centre.

"Holy shit! This is fucking badass!" Chloe exclaimed, admiring her new shirt while Max sat amused by her girlfriend's smiles and wide eyes.

"I'm glad you like it, but that's not my only gift." Max hesitantly pulled out a very tiny box from her jeans pocket, giving it one final look before handing it to Chloe.

Bearing a bewildered expression, Chloe gingerly opened the box and held up a shiny silver locket with a keychain that dangled on her index finger.

"Max…what…"

"Just open it." Max softly interrupted, eager but nervous to see Chloe's reaction to what was inside.

"Oh…wow…" Chloe was enthralled by the very familiar image of the selfie that Max had taken of the two the morning after their night of shenanigans at the pool a month ago. The sight immediately sent waves of nostalgia and memories into her head and she almost felt a tear jerk in her eye.

"Max…this is…this is beautiful…" She flipped the locket around to see the tiny letters reading 'You are my angel' engraved in elegant font onto the back, and Chloe was overwhelmed by the sheer emotion. "I…I don't know what to say…"

"Do you like it?" Max anxiously asked.

"I fucking love it. I love it _so_ much. This is just…wow…" Max was extremely relieved to have left Chloe entirely speechless. Her reaction was far beyond what she had anticipated, even in her best case scenarios. "Hold on."

Chloe frantically dug into her pocket and pulled out her truck keys before swiftly connecting the locket onto them and beholding her new gift.

"God, this is so fucking cool." Max couldn't help but smile from ear to ear, glad to have chosen the right gift.

"I…I know it's a bit cheesy, but I really wanted to give you something that reminded you of us." Chloe's eyes fixed themselves away from the locket and onto Max's shining gaze.

"It's not cheesy. It's the second greatest gift I've ever gotten." Max tilted her head and raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Second greatest? What's the first?" Chloe let out a sharp chuckle at Max's question.

"Duh, you."

* * *

"God, you really know how to make a girl feel special on her anniversary." Chloe's voice was breathless as she panted lying on Max's bed on her bare back.

"Glad to hear I can make an impression." Max joked, turning her naked body to face Chloe and tracing circles around her skin with her index fingee.

"I love it when you're so modest." Chloe shifted her body to face Max before digging her face in to share a heated kiss. She ran her fingers through Max's hair as her tongue danced inside Max's mouth, prompting subtle moans from the brunette. When they finally parted, Chloe cupped Max's cheek, gently grazing her thumb across her freckles and staring deeply into her shimmering blue eyes.

"How did humanity create such a perfect human being?" Chloe joked.

"I don't know. And she even comes with blue hair." Chloe chuckled at Max's clever return to swing the punk's compliment right back to her.

Chloe let out a heavy sigh, still recovering from the hour of sheer ecstasy that had just occurred. Even after a month, sex with Max always felt just as exciting as the first time. Chloe saw Max turn her head around to Rachel's cardigan and jeans strewn carelessly on the floor.

"How mad do you think Rachel's gonna be when she finds out I had sex in her clothes?" Max asked with a snicker.

"Can't get mad if you don't get caught." Chloe winked and Max giggled.

"Whew, I'm beat." Max snuggled herself into Chloe's bare chest and prepared to doze off while the punk simply giggled. She softly ran her fingers through Max's hair and got comfortable herself.

"Good night, babe."

* * *

"Max, do we _really_ have to do this?" Chloe groaned as Max pulled her by the wrist towards her desk.

"Yes, I promised them we'd do this yesterday." Max sat Chloe down on the empty chair next to her before flipping on her laptop and navigating her mouse to open Skype.

"Can…can't we do it later?" Chloe pleaded, trying to put off the inevitable.

"No." Max demanded, which was responded with a pout and puppy eyes from the bluenette.

"I feel really sick, I don't think I can do this, babe." Max rolled her eyes at Chloe's futile attempt at an escape, and one look was enough to give Chloe her rejection.

 _This is officially the worst day of my liiiiife._

Max clicked the 'call' button on her mother's profile.

 _OH DEAR GOD IT'S GOTTEN WOOOORSE._

Chloe began thinking of the worse case scenarios, with most of them resulting with her head on a stake.

 _They send three apache helicopters and gun down my house. No, attack dogs to maul me. Best one yet, they send Bruce Willis riding a Panzer tank-no, a motherfucking robot dragon…with machine guns. Oh god this is gonna suck._

The call rang for a few moments, and Chloe's eyes lit up at the possibility of Max's parents being unavailable, only further delaying her first encounter with them. What made everything worse is that her parents weren't even aware of her existence, let alone the fact that she was in love with their daughter.

Ruining Chloe's rather unlikely dream, the call was picked up, and the screen flashed on a display of a long haired brunette sitting next to a rather heavyset man with a thick beard.

 _Holy shit, Max's dad is a lumberjack?_

"Max? Sweetie?" Her mother's voice sounded rather sweet, a voice that seemed like it was the type to soothe a baby with a lullaby within ten seconds.

"Hey mom. How are you?" Max sweetly asked.

 _Okay Chloe, stay calm. Just keep it cool and maybe they'll like you. Key word: maybe._

"Max? Honey, I can't hear you." Max's mother began searching every inch of the laptop for any form of a solution, which only made Max clasp her face in embarrassment.

"Honey, your sound is muted." Max's father informed, reaching over and pressing a button on the keyboard before leaning back into his chair.

"Mom? Can you hear me now?"

"Oh sweetie! I can hear you now." Her mother's voice was filled with pure joy. "It's so good to see your face again."

"It's great to see you too mom. Hey dad." Max waved over to her father.

"Hey honey." Her father was much calmer than her mother was, maintaining a very collected and casual attitude.

"Who's your friend?" Her mother's eyes went to Chloe, prompting a subtle jump in her seat.

"Oh, this is…" Max turned to give Chloe a reassuring glance and a smile. "…this is Chloe." Chloe smiled and waved to the couple.

"Hi Chloe, I'm Vanessa and this is Ryan." Her mother greeted herself and pointed over to Max's father and introduced him as well.

"It's very nice to meet you two."

"So have you and Max been friends since she arrived at Blackwell?" The question from Vanessa was enough to create an awkward tension for both Max and Chloe.

 _Oh dear god, already? I thought I'd get at least a little time to score some points with her folks._

Max looked back at Chloe and the punk merely shrugged, not really knowing what to say.

"Mom, dad. I sorta have something to tell you guys." Max stared down as she twiddled her thumbs nervously. Underneath the table, her feet were tapping rapidly, showing clear evidence that she was not ready for this.

"What is it sweetheart?"

"Please don't be mad, but…"

 _Fuck it. I'm swooping in._

"Vanessa, Ryan. It seems like your daughter is kind of tongue-tied at the moment so I think I should do the talking for her. The thing is-" Max gently placed her hand on Chloe's shoulder to stop her, gazing into her blue eyes and gently shaking her head.

"No, Chloe. They're my parents, I should be the one to tell them."

"Max, what's going on?" A look of concern replaced the faces of excitement and delight on Max's parents.

"Guys, Chloe and I are…we're kind of a thing…" Chloe felt her body stiffen and heart stop.

 _It's over, I can hear the dragon._

"As in, you two are dating?" Max simply nodded shyly at the question. " _That's_ what you were so nervous to tell us?" Another nod only caused her parents to break into laughter.

 _Heh?_

Chloe and Max both looked at each other with bewilderment, utterly confused as to what was so funny.

"Max, that's amazing!" Vanessa's voice was once again filled with glee, jump-starting Chloe's heart and releasing the tension in her body.

 _HEH?_

"Wait, you're not mad?" Max asked.

"No! Of course not, why would we ever be mad?" Vanessa looked back to Ryan. "Oh my god Ryan, our little baby girl is growing up." Her mother collapsed into her father's burly arms and cried tears of joy while the man simply shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Wowser, I…I really didn't expect you guys to be so happy about this."

"Max, we don't care who you date, so long as you're happy." Ryan's words brought a wave of relief into Chloe's chest. "Unless you started dating the reincarnation of Jeffrey Dahmer or something, then we'd have some mixed feelings." Max giggled while Vanessa raised her head from her husband's to shove his arm. She eventually pulled away and returned to her original seat, wiping a single tear from her eye.

"How long have you two been together?" She asked.

"Actually, yesterday was our one-month anniversary." Max admitted giving a glance of happiness to Chloe who returned it.

"Oh my god, that's amazing! Oh! That's why you called me about the gift?!"

"Yeah, but I…didn't actually use the idea." Chloe was now shocked to see that Max had actually taken the risk of calling her mother for gift ideas. It was so sweet.

"Wait, what was the idea?" Chloe asked, now truly curious as to what she may have gotten.

"Oh, just…gold earrings."

"What _did_ you get her then?" Vanessa asked, now just as curious as Chloe just was.

"Oh she got me this." Chloe dove into her pocket and pulled out her car keys, flipping the locket open and giving the picture inside one quick glance before putting it up to the webcam.

"Ohhh, it's so beautiful." Vanessa brought her hands to her mouth and seemed to be on the verge of tears once again.

"Mom, please…"

"Ryan, our girl is such a sweetheart." Her father could only stifle a groan as his wife fell back into his shoulders.

"Oh dog…"

* * *

"…and it was at the lighthouse where we confessed our feelings for each other." Chloe concluded the majestic tale of her and Max's first encounters, recalling every minor detail, mainly to help her review the many beautiful moments of their past.

"That's such a beautiful story. I think I'm tearing up." The four of them laughed at Vanessa's joke, although it almost seemed as if she was sincerely about to cry. "I'm telling you, this is like a fictional romance novel, but in real life and _so_ much better."

"Oh, the time. It's already 9PM." Max noticed.

"Do you have to go now?" Her mother asked with a frown.

"Unfortunately. I have a big photography project I need to work on." Max's words caused her mother's mouth to droop but she was understanding.

"Okay, dear. It was so great to see you and talk to you again. Also, it was such a treat to meet you, Chloe."

"It was my pleasure, Vanessa." Chloe smiled at the webcam.

"Okay, love you guys, bye!" Max waved goodbye as her parents bid farewell; her mother sending loving kisses over the web. The call disconnected and both girls breathed out a sigh of relief, slightly tired from the hours of conversing with the Caulfields.

"That was…actually really cool." Chloe admitted, leaning over to Max and cuddling the girl in her arms.

"Thanks for doing that for me. Not that you really had a choice." They both chuckled as Chloe ran her fingers through Max's hair.

"You want me to keep you company for your project, sweetie?" Chloe offered, prompting a mischievous grin from Max.

"There is no project." Chloe raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Then why did you-" Before she could finish, Max moved in for a sensual kiss, cupping Chloe's cheek and trailing her other hand up the girl's stomach. Chloe let out a soft moan as Max's hand moved underneath her tank top and across her skin. Max eventually parted just enough to speak, and Chloe could still feel her girlfriend's breath on her nose.

"I uhh…" Max tugged on the front of Chloe's belt and bit her lower lip. "…I just wanted you for myself." Chloe grinned widely, impressed at Max's blatant lie to her parents just to be alone with her.

"Well…if that's what you want…" Chloe grabbed the bottom edges of her tank top and swiftly threw it off before plunging in for another kiss, holding it for another heated moment before pulling away briefly.

"…I'm all yours."

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry I'm taking a little longer with these chapters, it's been hard to find the time between school work and other stuff. Hopefully you can bear with me, thanks for your support and patience as always :).**

 **Love y'all and stay awesome!**


	15. AWOL

**Chapter 15: AWOL**

Chloe woke up to feeling of a slight wetness on her neck and her half-lidded eyes looked down to see a set of brown hair nuzzled into her neck.

"Max…what…are you doing…?" She groggily mumbled with a laugh.

"Nooothiiing." The punk laughed again at Max's mockery of her.

 _Fine then. We'll have it your way._

In a single swift motion, Chloe swung her body over so that she was on top of Max, and the unexpected action caused the brunette to yelp and immediately halt her antics.

Chloe's nose was barely missing contact with Max's, and she smirked as the girl recovered from the rush.

 _My turn._

"Are you gonna behave?" Max shook her head with a wide grin at Chloe's request, and that was more than enough for her to come up with a response. She sunk her fingers into Max's bare stomach and began tickling the girl viciously, causing her to squirm and shriek for help underneath Chloe's hold.

"Nooo! Chloeee! Stooop!" Max pleaded through her fits of uncontrollable laughter as her naked body writhed across the bed.

"Are you gonna behave?!" Chloe repeated.

"Ye-yes!"

"Sorry, I can't hear you!"

"YES!" Chloe finally halted with Max's final plea and returned to her original position of hovering her head barely over Max's head.

"Good." It was all she said with another smirk.

"You are seriously the worst sometimes." Max giggled breathlessly as she tried to regain a steady heart rate.

Rather than responding with another one of her clever quips that she was rather lazy to come up with, she instead closed the negligible gap between her lips and Max's.

"That still doesn't make up for your physical harassment on my feeble body." Max sarcastically replied after the kiss, over exaggerating her victim card.

Chloe dove in for another kiss.

"Almost."

One more.

"Okay, that makes up for it." Chloe rolled her eyes and pinched Max's freckled cheeks before pulling herself up into a kneeling position with her each leg resting next to Max's thighs. She stretched her upper body and her arms up to wash away the sleep from her joints and when she had finished, she noticed Max smirking at the sight of Chloe's naked body.

"Hell of a view." She remarked.

"Indeed it is." Chloe returned, realizing that she had an equally arousing view of Max.

Max pushed herself up to a sitting position and kept her eyes locked with Chloe's for a moment before planting soft kisses on the punk's stomach. She wrapped her arms around Chloe's waist and snuggled the side of her head onto her stomach.

"It's Saturday." Max mumbled.

"So?"

"Can we just lay in bed all day?"

"I'd actually be down for-" The sound of a vibrating phone interrupted Chloe and she stifled a grunt of frustration.

"Was that your phone?"

"I think it was." The punk crawled off of her girlfriend and stepped across the room and picked up her phone to confirm that it was indeed a notification for her. To her surprise, it was a text from David.

 **David: Chloe. We need to talk. Now.**

 _Are you fucking kidding me right now? He better be quick, this pornstached dickbag is_ not _going to ruin my weekend._

"Who was it?" Max asked from the bed.

"It was step-turd."

"What does he want?" Max's voice picked up a hint of disgust at the mention of David.

"I don't know. Says he wants to 'talk'."

"When?"

"Right now." Max breathed out a sigh as Chloe began pulling on her clothes. The news was clearly quite the bummer for her.

"I'll try to get back as soon as I can. I promise." She threw on her beanie and gave one last kiss to Max who still lay on the bed before sending her a reassuring glance. "Love you."

"Love you too." Chloe pulled open the door to leave but Max called out her name just before she left. "Try not to rip each other's heads off." Chloe scoffed.

"No promises."

* * *

Chloe swung open the front door to her house expecting to see a stern looking David waiting for her, but instead, she was greeted with emptiness.

"David?" She called. Despite it being his actual name, calling her step-father 'David' was slightly sickening. Chloe felt like it was giving too much respect to such a dislikeable figure.

"Living room." David's scruffy voice called from around the corner and Chloe stepped over to see him sitting on the couch with his head the opposite direction of her.

"I'm here, what do you want?" She impatiently asked, glancing at the clock to measure how much time she was wasting.

"Sit down." Two simple words, yet they infuriated Chloe to no end. Out of everything she absolutely despised about David, which did form a very long list, his barking orders were number one. Obeying authority and Chloe never fit in the same sentence.

"Jesus, I don't have time for your shit. Just tell me what you have to say so I can go."

"Chloe, I am _sick_ of your disrespect, you hear me?" He turned his head to face her with a furious look.

"I don't respect assholes."

"You little-" David cut himself off and sighed before he let his anger overcome him. "You're hurting your mother. Always have done ever since you found it appropriate to take your anger out on the world after your father-"

"Bring up dad and I'll show you what _real_ disrespect is, you got me?" Chloe clenched her fists until they were flushed white.

"You're not the only one with issues. I've seen a lot more than you have but you don't see me living in the past, do you?"

"Then why do you still think you're at war? You treat me and my mom like we're fucking Easy Company, just cut the shit and act like a real family member!"

"I'm only doing what I _know_ is best for this family! It's _you_ who keeps tearing down all I've worked for!"

"Worked for? All you do all day is sit on the couch watching army documentaries while getting Joyce to be your personal fucking slave!"

"I _run_ this family!"

"See? That's where you have everything wrong. You don't _run_ a family." There was a tense silence between them. Chloe would not lose this fight. Not to David, never to David. "You didn't drag me down here just so we could get at each other's throats. So tell me what it is you want so I can leave. It's bad enough you're ruining my weekend." David let out a very aggressive sigh. He was clearly just as impatient as Chloe was, but for obviously different reasons.

"Don't think I'm fucking dumb. I know about you and Max."

Chloe felt a lump in her throat.

 _Shit._

"How the fuck would you know that?"

"I saw you two kissing after school. I work there, you know."

"Yeah, don't have to remind me why I hate going to school. Okay, good for you, you can stalk your own step-daughter. But this is none of your fucking business."

"I don't want you seeing that girl, Chloe." An explosion went off inside her head. Chloe herself was even impressed that she didn't immediately tear David's throat out the moment he finished talking. Ordering her to sit down or improve her behavior was tolerable, but demanding that she stop seeing the love of her life; she wouldn't let this slide.

"Who the fuck are you to tell me who I can't date?"

"That girl is trouble, Chloe. She hangs out with Victoria Chase from the Vortex Club."

"Well so do I!" This slightly puzzled David, but it wasn't enough to break his authoritative face.

"You _know_ that the Vortex Club is bad news, why are you so keen on socializing with their worst member?"

"She's not that bad anymore. Victoria's changed and she's a really good friend."

"I can't believe this. You're _defending_ Victoria Chase?"

"Oh for fucks sake. You know what? I'm not doing this, we're just gonna be going back and forth forever and I don't have that kind of time." Chloe threw her arms up in the air and turned for the door.

"Get back here, right now!" David called, leaping up from his seat and stomping towards Chloe.

"How about you go fuck yourself?" Chloe sent David the bird over her back just to intentionally vex him further but just as she was about to turn the doorknob, a tenacious hand gripped her wrist and turned her around forcefully, so she retaliated by instinct.

 _The fucking nerve of this prick!_

"Don't fucking touch me, asshole!" She pulled her hand away from David's grasp and shoved him back, barely causing him to tumble.

"If I see you with Max again it'll be the last time, Chloe." David was pushing Chloe beyond the limits of her own control. All she desired was to throw punch after punch at his face until he was beyond recognition, and even then she would still keep hitting.

"Fucking try me, prick!" Chloe stepped into David's face to prove her own dominance. She would never back down from this fight.

"You're not dumb enough to go back to her."

"Funny you say that, 'cause I was just about to go back to her dorm right now."

"Don't. Push me."

"I'll be sure to let her know you said 'hi'."

"This is the _last_ warning, Chloe. You step out that door, you can kiss Blackwell goodbye."

"Go right ahead. Can't stand that shithole especially when you're always there to-" It all happened so fast. One rapid swing of an arm was enough to cease her relentless taunts but boil up so much rage within her body that wanted to erupt.

The slap left a bright red mark on her cheek, one that fueled the already blazing inferno that had exploded in her head. It certainly stung as well. Years of military experience had most definitely strengthened David's arm but the pain was ignored due to the burning sense of fury.

She cupped the mark and glared at David and managed to catch a brief expression of regret which quickly transitioned back to his usual stern look.

"Chloe, I didn't want to do that but you just keep _pushing me_."

"Touch me again, and the only thing you'll be chief of security of will be your own ass in prison." Chloe swung around and stormed out the door, leaving David in complete silence. She nearly ripped her truck's driver-side door off its hinges and floored the vehicle back to the Blackwell dormitories, gripping the steering wheel tight enough to tear it off.

* * *

"I missed you, how was the-Chloe! Y-your face! What the fuck happened?!" Max gasped and brought her hands to her mouth before swiftly ushering Chloe inside to the overwhelming comfort of her dorm room.

The punk stomped inside more relieved than she had ever been to step into Max's room. Anywhere but her own house was acceptable.

She sunk her bottom down onto Max's bed and tried to focus her mind elsewhere.

 _It's fine, you're with Max now. Away from Captain fucking Sobel._

Being in Max's presence certainly simmered her rage down immensely, and Chloe almost felt calm after what had just happened. Almost.

"Chloe, what happened? Are you okay?" Max knelt down and looked deeply into her girlfriend's eyes and despite her mind being set on being infuriated, she couldn't help but smile at the sight of Max's freckled face.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure? I can get some ice."

"No really. Thank you."

"You wanna tell me what happened with David?" Chloe let out a heavy sigh.

"The fucker slapped me." Max gasped even louder this time, clearly in disbelief at what David would have the audacity to do.

"That son of a bitch! Why the hell would he do that?!" Max was now just as aggravated as Chloe was, evidently outraged at someone hurting her girlfriend.

"He told me that he thought you were trouble and that he didn't want me dating you anymore."

"What?! Why would he say something like that?"

"'Cause you hang out with Vic. He still thinks she's some devil incarnate." Max simply cursed under her breath and crossed her arms, seemingly flustered and upset by this turn of events.

"Max, don't worry, it's not like I'm actually gonna leave you just 'cause step-shit said so."

"Yeah, I know…it's just…now we gotta watch our backs, I don't want you to get in trouble 'cause of me." Chloe stood up and took the brunette's head in her hands.

"Baby, it's okay. You're worth _everything_." She planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Chloe, he _slapped_ you. I don't want to see you coming back here with bruises everyday."

"Not if I don't let him. After today, no way I'm letting him get within fifteen feet of me."

"Maybe you should talk to Joyce. I mean, there's no way she'd let this slide."

"Who knows? Mom's been kissing his ass for two years, I wouldn't be surprised if she just told me to grow up or some shit." Max only frowned. As much as she hated to believe that, there was a paranoid side of her that felt there was some truth to what Chloe was saying.

Just as Chloe was beginning to settle down and look forward to spending the rest of her Saturday morning in Max's room, a disgusting reminder entered her head.

 _Shit, Dickwad David's probably on his way right now to keep me from seeing Max. Can't stay here. Not for a little bit._

"Shit, Max we gotta go." Chloe hopped up from the bed.

"What? Why?"

"I'm pretty sure step-ass is on his way here to prevent me from seeing you. I don't want you to tangle with him, it's bad enough he hates you already."

"Are you cereal? How long will we have to be out of here for?"

"I don't know. At least until he calms down a bit. But who knows how long that'll be?" Max looked irritated from Chloe's words, and she certainly couldn't be blamed for it. After all, she was basically being kicked out of her own dorm room. "I'm sorry. I'll think of something, but for now, let's just get out of here before Sergeant Dickface arrives." Chloe stared at Max reassuringly, and after a moment, Max gave in and sighed.

"Let me just get dressed."

* * *

Silence was all that was between Max and Chloe as the punk exhaled a plume of marijuana smoke from her tired lips. The breeze flowing in from the openings in the shoddy brick construction of the junkyard shack that acted as windows carried the smoke away and out into the outside air.

In the serenity of the moment, Chloe could forget everything that had happened today. David no longer existed in her relaxed head and the only person that did exist was Max. No one else mattered.

A set of cozy blankets were laid out on the floor for Chloe and Max to lay on, and out of the corner of her eye, Max seemed so lost in her own thoughts next to her; staring at the ceiling as if it were a starry sky.

"Max?" Chloe whispered her name out of impulse. She didn't really have anything in particular she wanted to talk about, but hearing Max's voice was always enough to make her smile.

"Yeah?" Chloe took a moment to think of something to say, and after recalling what had occurred that morning, a forgotten thought entered her mind.

"Have you…ever wanted to leave this place?" Leaving Arcadia Bay. Chloe remembered discussing the idea with Rachel countless times; from the moment they first met and through the years that followed. Unfortunately, money had always been hard to come by and none of them really had a real plan for what they would do once they started driving.

"Leave the junkyard? Like right now? Not while I'm with you-" Chloe cut Max's sentence off.

"No. I meant Arcadia Bay."

"Oh." There was a short silence as Max assessed the question she had now been given, presumably giving the idea some thought since it didn't seem like the think she would think about. To Chloe, Max didn't feel like the person to look so far ahead in the future. She was a girl of the present, nothing further. Sure, the idea of leaving to Portland had come up back at the sawmill, but it was quick to burrow itself into the back of Max's mind as homework had its intentions of being her priority. "I've…I've never thought about it."

"Don't you want to though? What's the point of trapping yourself in a place you don't even like for your whole life?"

"I don't hate Arcadia Bay."

"Come on, Max. If Blackwell didn't exist and I wanted to leave, you'd be far from here." Max was about to open her mouth to retort, but only a split second was enough to make her realize that Chloe wasn't far from speaking the truth.

"Is this about the Portland trip you and Rach were talking about?"

"No. Or maybe, I…I don't know, Max. It's just…God, this probably sounds hella dumb."

"Chloe, tell me. It's fine." Chloe let out an audible sigh.

"I…Ever since we talked about that trip, I've sometimes thought about the two of us leaving here forever. Just you and me out on the road, driving an RV through the states and living off food trucks and hot dog vendors." Chloe chuckled after realizing that verbally expressing her thoughts was a lot more cringeworthy than it seemed in her head. "Is that too much?" Max giggled.

"No, of course not." The brunette shifted in for a quick kiss. "I think it sounds amazing." Chloe's eyes lit up with delight, mostly because she was glad to know that Max didn't think she was a total loser for having fantasizing about unlikely road trips.

"So, you're saying you'd do it?"

"Of course I would." Chloe couldn't help but let a wide grin plaster her face. She had something to look forward to in the months to come. Although, knowing that Max existed was already something to look forward to everyday.

"Can you promise me something?"

"Certainly."

"After you graduate from Blackwell…we leave." Chloe expected a look of deep thought from Max following her question, but she was instead greeted with a delighted smile.

"Let's do it." Chloe's head began dancing with joy. Three words that seemed so simple were enough to send her mind into a wild rave.

"Cross your heart?"

"Hope to die."

"Hella yes!" Chloe pulled Max closer and tightly squeezed the petite girl in her slender arms before planting a wet kiss on her forehead. "You're gonna love it! We could stock up on weed, booze, and donuts and-" Before Chloe could begin listing an archive of things to waste money on, Max stopped her with a giggle.

"Whoa, slow down there. Let's try and focus on graduating first, okay?" Chloe rolled her eyes and groaned.

"Ugh, you're no fun." She sarcastically crossed her arms like an irritated child.

"I'm no fun, huh?" Without another word, Max threw herself onto Chloe and sunk her lips onto the punk's with lust. Chloe's tongue swung around inside Max's mouth as the kiss grew in intensity as Max began running her fingers through her cobalt hair.

Chloe felt a hand trail under her tank top and softly rub her stomach, prompting a soft moan of pleasure as she ran her own hand up Max's back.

Unfortunately, before things got any more intimate, the sound of a phone's chirp came from Chloe's pocket, immediately bringing and end to the moment.

 _Who the fuck?! ARRGH, I am going to murder a bitch!_

"Well that was a buzzkill." Max remarked with a chuckle.

Chloe cursed under her breath as she furiously dug into her pocket for her phone, noticing that she had received a text from a name she hadn't heard in quite some time.

 **Vinnie: Hi Chloe, it's Vin.**

 _That…was unexpected._

"Who is it?" Max asked.

"It's Vinnie."

"No way. Haven't heard from him or Carson since the sawmill."

"I know. Wonder what he wants?"

 **Chloe: hey man, whats up?**

 **Vinnie: Not much tbh. I've been meaning to contact you and Max ever since that night at the concert but Carson and I have been real busy that we never had the chance.**

 **Chloe: yeah same here. school isnt the most relaxing thing in the world**

Chloe's last message was a mild lie. She barely bothered to care about her homework and in reality, she had just completely forgotten about Vinnie and Carson because of how fixated she was on Max.

 **Vinnie: Anyways, you up to anything next Friday?**

 **Chloe: nope**

 **Vinnie: Firewalk. Need I say more?**

 **Chloe: hell no. im hella in**

 **Vinnie: Awesome. Let Max and Rachel know and I'll send you the details asap.**

 **Chloe: sick. thx man**

"What was it?" Max asked impatiently and curiously.

"Free up your calendar for next Friday, we're going moshing." Surprisingly, Max's face brightened up with an excited grin rather than an anxious lip-bite or nervous frown. Chloe certainly was quite the influence on her. "Anyways, let's get outta here. Step-ladder is probably back home jerking off to pictures of tanks right now so I think it's safe to go back to your place."

"Gross."

"Actually…I think we can stay a little bit longer, it's kinda nice here. Especially with you." Rather than the heartfelt smile she was expecting, Max rolled her eyes.

"Chloe, we are not having sex in this shack."

"What? Max, that's not what I meant. Jeez, I was just going for a romantic moment."

"Really?" Max crossed her arms and arched and eyebrow interrogatively.

"Okay fine you got me. But why noooot? Please?" Chloe pouted and gave Max her signature 'get-anything-she-wants' puppy dog eyes she used so frequently.

"No. Rachel would freak and someone might see us."

"I think they'd hear us before they saw us, if you know what I mean." Chloe smirked and snickered at her own joke while Max just responded with an unamused expression. "Fine." Chloe groaned and annoyingly stood up and dusted her bottom. Max held out her hand and Chloe was quick to grab it, and the two head off back to Chloe's truck to leave their second home.

The ride was just like any other, casual conversation and laughs, this one following the tale of a drunken Chloe and her late night mishaps years ago when she was only sixteen. Max had always found Chloe's stories so enjoyable to hear, and the catastrophic failure of Chloe accidently vandalising her own truck while under the heavy influence of alcohol was too much for Max to stifle.

They both let out synchronised sighs of relief as David was nowhere in sight. He was nowhere near campus or near the dorms, but either way it didn't matter. Max's room was theirs.

Chloe may not have been granted her ambitious wish of sex at the junkyard, but Max wasn't hesitant on making it up to her that afternoon.

* * *

A frustrated Max lightly tapped her pencil against her forehead as the complex jumble of numbers and equations confused her.

It seemed her initially smart idea of finishing her homework early so she could enjoy the rest of her weekend with Chloe had backfired, and with an hour passed and only about a quarter of her math work done, Max didn't need second thoughts to know she should quit.

She slammed her book shut and switched off her desk lamp, stretching her arms out and frowning at her failure.

 _What to do…what to do…_

Before boredom kicked in, the noise of her phone vibrating against the surface of her desk startled her, and Max was puzzled to see that she was receiving a call from an unknown number.

"Hello?" She greeted as she reluctantly picked up.

"Max? That you?" The voice seemed so familiar, yet so unfamiliar. Max just couldn't put her finger on it.

"Excuse me, who is this?" Max asked before giving away her identity. A sense of discomfort drew in.

"It's Adrian." That name. One that brought back distasteful memories that Max had managed to quickly forget, only to be reminded of it now. Adrian. What a creep.

"What do you want?" Max was quick to show hostility in her voice. Anything he had to say couldn't be good.

"Listen, I uhh…I just wanted to say sorry for what happened at the sawmill."

"Little too late for that, isn't it?"

"I meant to say it sooner, but I didn't know your number."

"Whatever. Either way, you're a total creep."

"Come on, cut me some slack. I didn't know you and Chloe were a thing, okay?"

"That doesn't matter, you still went _way_ too far on me."

"I know, and I'm really sorry. Hey, can we please talk about this over some coffee or something?"

 _I cannot believe this guy! He's asking me out? After what happened?_

"If you wanna talk to me, talk now."

"No, I really think it'd be better if we met in person."

"What, so you can try and kiss me again?"

"Fucking-Okay, look. I think we should start over."

"I don't know, can we still be friends after what happened?"

"No, Max, I don't mean start over as friends." Max had to take a moment to drop her jaw in utter disbelief. The nerve of Adrian baffled her beyond anything she had ever heard.

"Are you kidding me right now? I don't know if you have short term memory loss, or you just can't take a hint. Chloe and I are together. _Together_. What's so hard to understand?"

"I know that, but maybe if you got to know me, you'd maybe change your-" Max almost impaled her phone with her finger when she hung up. Any longer and her head would have exploded.

"Cannot fucking believe that guy." Max cursed to herself. She carelessly tossed her phone onto her bed and took a swig from the water bottle on her windowsill which she usually used to feed her plant, Lisa. Unfortunately, the lack of a constant reminder didn't fare too well for the lonely pet and she was quick to meet her demise. It was a sad day for Max, but a sadder day for her mother.

Another hour passed as Max wasted away her minutes playing with her phone, bored out of her mind.

Chloe had left to hang out with Rachel, and although she had invited Max to join, the brunette was keen on following her homework plan so she respectfully declined the offer. Max had never regretted something more in her life.

Suddenly, a string of knocks echoed through her room and Max was quick to leap to her feet, desperate to escape the overwhelming dreariness of an empty room.

She was delighted to see Chloe's face be the one to greet her upon opening the door, but an unfamiliar face stood next to her.

She was slightly shorter than Chloe; no more than a few centimetres. She wore an orange t-shirt with the wild image of a black tribal art dragon, a pair of tattered jeans, and a white beanie decorated with a cartoon flame over her cleanly cut red hair. A necklace with a small dragon pendant attached to it hung around her neck.

"Hey, babe. I want you to meet someone." Chloe gestured over to the girl who stood calmly in the hallway with her hands in her pocket.

"Hey Max." The girl greeted amiably as she held out her hand for Max to shake. "I'm Steph."

* * *

 **A/N: Hey, first of all, sorry for the long wait. There's been some personal stuff I've had to deal with which either meant I had no time to write, or I just wasn't motivated to. When I wrote, it felt forced and uninspired. In fact, this chapter originally had a boring full page conversation between Max and Chloe at the diner. Obviously scrapped it for being the worst way to fill up a chapter.**

 **Secondly, I'd like to say that episode 2 of Before the Storm was the absolute bomb. Brilliant work and in my opinion, somewhat better than the first episode.**

 **Hmm…what else…?**

 **Nope, I got nothing. Thanks for the continued support and I'll see y'all next chapter. It's gonna be a fun one. ;)**

 **Stay awesome!**


	16. Roll for Initiative

**Chapter 16: Roll for Initiative**

"Oh, it's…nice to meet you, Steph." Max nervously shook Steph's hand, but was rather puzzled.

 _Who is this girl?_

"Steph used to go to Blackwell. Fortunately for her, she got transferred to some fancy pretentious tech school late second year." Steph replied to Chloe's extremely simplified explanation with the middle finger.

"It was another boarding school like Blackwell, but instead of art, it was computer sciences." Steph's described after finding a comfortable spot on the floor.

"Anyways, Steph and I were good friends during her time at Crackwell." Chloe sat down next to the redhead.

"That's a bit of an understatement, isn't it?" Steph remarked, prompting some more confusion from Max.

"Okay, maybe it's a _bit_ of an understatement." Chloe admitted, scratching the back of her head.

"I don't…I don't get it." Max stammered awkwardly.

"Chloe and I used to date." Max didn't know why she was surprised. She knew that Chloe had been with other girls in the past, and it wasn't far from the impossible that she may have ended one of her relationships off on good terms, hence the reason why Steph was here in the first place.

"We were together for a few months, but after Steph booked it for her new school, we realized that a long-distance relationship wouldn't work." Chloe explained.

"You know, I'm kinda glad you and I ended it off like that and not through some big fight later on down the road." Chloe nodded in agreement with Steph.

Max hadn't realized that she had been standing there anxiously the entire time, and it wasn't until Chloe noticed that she snapped out of her daze.

"Max, you're not worried or anything, are you?" Chloe asked.

"Oh, what? No, of course not, why would I be?" Max nervously chuckled, finally sitting down next to the other two girls.

"She can be the cutest sometimes." Chloe turned her head to Steph and giggled at Max's futile attempts at hiding her jealousy.

"You don't have to worry about me, Max. Chloe and I are just friends now." Max was beginning to blush as she felt like she had humiliated herself slightly.

"So, uhm…Where do you go to school, Steph?" Max asked, desperately trying to change the topic of conversation.

"Ohio. I flew over here for a coop program in Portland, but I couldn't pass up the chance to stop by my old stomping grounds."

"Rach and I ran into her at the bar. Figured she was…" Chloe puffed out her chest and feigned a bellowing English accent as if she were a menacing orc. "…grabbing a goblet of ale." Steph laughed Chloe's obvious teasing of her geekiness and love of fantasy games, but Max was once again left in the unknown.

"Sorry, Maximus. Steph is a major nerd. She and I used to play tabletop role-playing games a couple times." Max was hit with a wave of nostalgia as she reminisced back to her childhood when she played those very tabletop games with her own friends back in Seattle. She couldn't help but smile at the memory of her very own gnome cleric, Reia Littleknight.

"Oh really? I uhh…I used to play tabletop games all the time when I was a kid." Max confessed.

"Oh sweet! Hey, when Rachel gets back, we _have_ to play a game." Steph's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Sorry to burst your geek bubble but we don't have the necessary stuff. If you wanna, Max has Scrabble."

"Chloe Price, you seem to view me as ill-prepared. The Dungeon Master _never_ comes ill-prepared."

"Really now? You gonna pull bunch of dice and character sheets out from your ass or something?"

"No, but I will pull one out from my car's ass. I keep some of my tabletop stuff in my trunk for situations like these." Chloe's jaw fell to the floor, and unknowingly, so did Max's.

 _Dedicated geek. Not gonna lie, I kind of respect that._

"You're shitting me." Chloe said in disbelief. Steph only shook her head and raised her hand up to solemnly swear that she was speaking the truth. "Okay, so we have the board, but don't we need an actual adventure or something? Don't those take like, two weeks to prepare?" Asking another question seemed pointless. Once again, Steph seemed to be prepared.

"Pssh, I have a ton of stories already written out. Also in my trunk." The other two girls howled with laughter not to make fun of Steph, but baffled at how prepared she was for such a scenario. She was in possession of a tabletop game on wheels.

Another pattern of knocks filled the room and Chloe was quick to leap to her feet and open the door to reveal a beaming Rachel carrying a shopping bag.

"Phew, you have no idea what it took to get these through unnoticed. Oh, I see Steph has been acquainted with Maxie." Rachel skipped inside and set the bag down before pulling out two bottles of wine as well as the glasses to match from within.

"Rachel, you brought _wine_ into my dorm room? If David sees this he'll suspend me!" Max exclaimed with concern for her scholarship.

"Relax, girl. We brought weed into your room and it was fine, wasn't it? Besides, wine is so much easier to mask, we don't even need to open a window."

"Fine, but if we get caught-"

"All on me." Rachel held up her hand in promise as she cut Max off. "Anyways, what were you girls chit chattin' about while I was rumrunning?"

"Not much, just what Steph likes to keep in her car." All the girls except Rachel laughed. "Pretty basic stuff; her books, some mix CDs, a D&D set…" Rachel sharply laughed in disbelief at the last object.

"You do not!" She argued. Steph merely shrugged and smirked. "So do you just wait for a day where someone's all like 'Man, I really wish I could play some D&D right now…', Steph swoops in, opens up her trunk proudly all like; 'I gotchu'." The whole group laughed at Rachel's little solo play.

Once the laughter had died down, Rachel began pouring wine into the glasses and handed one to Steph and Chloe who both gladly accepted. She then offered Max who took a moment to contemplate.

 _I mean, it's just wine. You can handle wine, right?_

Finally making her decision, she thanked Rachel and took the glass kindly and hesitantly took a sip.

 _Yeah, you can totally handle wine. This drinking stuff is easy peasy._

"So girls, what kind of mischief are we getting ourselves into tonight?" Steph asked after taking a sip of her wine.

The other three simply just looked at each other back and forth, each of them smirking as they shared the exact same idea.

"What?" Steph wondered in confusion.

"So…about that D&D set…"

* * *

"Alright ladies, we're ready to go." Steph's announcement sparked excitement throughout the other girls who gathered around the collection of dice and papers that sat on the floor before their Dungeon Master. "I hope you all have thoughtfully written your character sheets." The girls nodded. "Splendid. Chloe, we'll start with you."

Chloe cleared her throat.

"I am the mighty elven fighter, Carthyra, twin sister of the lost elf barbarian, Callamastia. I hold a brutal vendetta against anyone relating to the once powerful Duurguron, the Unscarred, and I seek to avenge my fallen sister, as well as earn a little coin along the way." The surrounding girls applauded lightly at Chloe's rather impressive performance and backstory for her character.

"I knew you'd bring back Callamastia in _some_ way." Steph chuckled as Chloe simply responded with mischievous wink. "Okay Rach, onto you."

Rachel cleared her throat and put on a convincing posh English accent.

"Beware weaklings, for I am the devious and cunning half-elf rogue, Caelynn Wolfhorn. I grew up in the impoverished slums of Avernon with my younger sister, Lia, but after our parents were taken away from us by a deadly plague, I had to learn the ways of trickery and pickpocketing. Soon, I became a master of the craft, and I managed to lie and steal my way to survive with my sister. However, years passed and Lia fell to the very same illness that killed our parents, and now…I travel the roads with no true purpose but to stay alive." The others around Rachel were impressed by her display, but at the same time they really didn't expect any less from an actress of her talent. Regardless, Max still felt truly immersed in Rachel's character and story, that she almost lost herself in the tale.

"Super into it, Caelynn. I like it. Okay Max, your turn." Surprisingly, even to herself, Max had put a considerable amount of thought into her character. Obviously, she couldn't resist bringing back such a large piece of her childhood, Reia felt like a fictional extension to herself.

Even though she could have easily stuck with Reia's original backstory that Max had written ages ago, the amount of plot holes and unoriginality irked her too much, so she opted to completely redo her entire character for the sake of fitting into this new fantasy world more appropriately.

 _Reia 2.0. Time to kick some ass._

She smiled to herself and begun.

"Fear not, fellow heroes, for I am Reia Littleknight, a gnome cleric seeking to heal those who wish to cure this world of war and pain. I had always had a distaste for violence ever since I was a young one, but I wanted nothing more than to serve the beautiful land of Avernon and protect its inhabitants. So, following my grandmother's vast knowledge of the healing arts, I studied hours upon hours of useful spells and alchemy recipes to help those who needed it most. Being too young to serve on the battlefield, I took the initiative to mask myself and become a pacifistic vigilante, and I spent many months healing and rejuvenating the weak. Then, one unfortunate day, I was taken from my bed by a group of orcs who had heard of my deeds and wished to use my skills for evil. They threatened my life and forced me to do the opposite of what I had originally sought out to do, and for so long, I aided these horrible thugs until I was finally rescued by a group of valiant elven rogues who got me back on my feet and helped me return home to my family. Since then, I vowed to right the many wrongs I committed under the hands of those orcs, and I only intend on liberating Avernon from the forces of cruel evil that wish to destroy it." Eyes widened once Max had finished her tale and after a good few moments, the other girls loudly applauded. Max smiled to herself and gracefully bowed, proud to have made quite the initial impression on her friends.

"Bravo, Reia. I can already tell this is gonna be awesome. Okay, let's begin." Steph leaned forwards as did the others. "You are all brave heroes seeking to protect and free the kingdom of Avernon from evil, and now, the truest form of it has arisen to capture and destroy the once peaceful land and its many innocent lives. Appearing many weeks ago from the depths of Hell, Emperor Tartheon and his army of the undead seeks to rule Avernon and burn its people into the ground, marking his first step in total world domination. King Tiberius has become desperate and is calling out to any willing courageous souls to help fight against Tartheon and his army, and this is where you three come in. You all meet at Guncork's Tavern in the dwarven town of Regrock where you all initially came to gather the necessary weapons and supplies for your journey to defeating Tartheon. You all quickly become acquainted and with similar intentions, you decide to band together to fight Tartheon as a team." The other girls looked at each other excitedly, impatient to see what their story had in store for them. "So, you need a place to stay, but at the same time, finding information regarding your enemy could be useful. After all, Regrock is well known for being a hub for hidden knowledge and untold tales."

"So, what do we got?" Chloe eagerly asked, rubbing her palms together.

"Around you are dozens of dwarves, each of them minding their own business and some socializing with their fellow kind. With this many dwarves, it's impossible to find out which one would hold any useful information, however, maybe the bartender could be of assistance?"

"I slam my hands on the counter and shout-" Max quickly cut Chloe off before she could do something regrettable right at the start of the game.

"Chloe, don't just yell at the guy!"

"Ugh, fiiiine." Chloe groaned and breathed out a sigh with a disappointed expression across her face. "I approach him _nicely_."

"What do you say?" Steph asked. Before Chloe could open her mouth to speak, Max held up her hand to hush her.

"I'll do the talking." Max cleared her throat and dove into character. "'Hello there, kind sir. I am Reia, and these are my friends, and we were wondering if perhaps you could give us a brief tour of your lovely establishment?'"

"Max, that's not what we came for." Rachel argued.

"Well, you can't just jump straight into these things, Caelynn. You gotta ease 'em in and try to guide the conversation to get what you want." Rachel nodded in agreement as Max's reasoning was more than enough to convince her.

Steph entered a low, scruffy voice bearing a thick and convincing Scottish accent as she hopped into the shoes of the dwarven bartender.

"'We don't give tours to outsiders like yourselves. Folks like you tend to bring trouble.'"

"Well shit." With Max's plan now foiled, it was Rachel's turn to make an impact.

"Step aside, Reia, and let the master of trickery teach you a thing or two." Caelynn straightened her back and smirked. "'Excuse me, but I'm not sure if you heard my friend here correctly, perhaps you require a hearing aid?' I pull out a single gold coin and slide it subtly across the counter towards him." Rachel mimed the act of sliding a coin across a flat surface to aid with the visualization.

"One coin? That's a weak bribe, you'll need to do a persuasion roll." Steph informed.

"Not a problem, my charisma is off the charts." Rachel pointed to her eye-widening charisma score of eighteen, giving off a smug and cocky look.

"Don't look so confident, we'll see if that bonus even matters." With that, Rachel threw the 20-sided die, letting it fly across and land on the carpet.

"Eighteen! Fuck yes!" The three players celebrated as Steph could only shrug and accept the lucky roll. High fives went around as the overall group morale sky-rocketed to almost dangerous levels after having their first roll be such a positive one. Max couldn't help it, she felt giddy too.

"The bartender sneakily tucks the coin into his front pocket and leans in over the counter after putting down the goblet he was polishing. 'Perhaps I _did_ hear the lass wrong. What is it that I could be of assistance?'"

"'Information. Information regarding Tartheon.'" Caelynn boldly requested.

"The bartender gulps hard at the mentioning of such a horrifying name. It gives you some insight into just how terrified people of the kingdom are of the Emperor. The dwarf darts his head left and right before gesturing you all to follow him to the back room."

"We all follow." Caelynn declared. The other two heroes didn't need a second thought to agree upon the choice.

"The room is dark, but the dwarf lights a candle and holds it just in front of his wrinkly face. 'What is it that you want with the devil himself? Surely you've heard everything there is to hear about the monster.'"

"'Not everything. We know there is more to him than what's heard on the streets, and we know that someone like you would know a thing or two about him.'"

"The bartender breathes out a nervous sigh. 'Okay. From what I've heard, the devil holds valuable crystals of some sort in various outposts in the Ghoul Forest-'"

"Ghoul Forest? What's that?" Chloe asked.

"Huh? Oh, it's a dangerous region of dead trees in high density. All sorts of undead creatures rest there. Some believe the land is right above a gate to Hell, while others believe the whole place is a myth. After all, not many have made it out alive, and those who did are still traumatized at the sights they have seen in there." Max unexpectedly felt a chill run down her spine as she knew that her group would reach the Forest eventually. As Reia, she was anxious. As herself, she was psyched to see what Steph had in store.

"Shit, that sounds…pretty fucking awesome. Okay, go on."

"Okay, anyways. 'Crystals in the Ghoul Forest. People believe these crystals have some sort of connection with the tyrant and that it could potentially be a form of life source for him. I…I don't know for sure, those are just rumours.'"

"Well, ladies?" Rachel deviously looked at her fellow heroes. "Let's get going."

* * *

"The skeleton strikes down at you with his shortsword, but you manage to shrug off his attack due to your save roll!" Steph exclaimed towards Max.

"Yes! Finish this phoney off, Carthyra!" Max shouted excitedly.

"I got this! I strike that bony fucker with my longsword!" Chloe threw the die with her own degree of finesse and prepared herself for her typical celebratory fist bump.

"You bring up your sword before swinging it down with all your might, splitting the skeleton into nothing but shattered bones that crash down onto the dirt ground."

"Boo yah!" Joyous whoops filled the room as the girls high fived each other and celebrated their victory.

"Not bad for your first battle. We'll just have to see how you fare against the tougher opponents."

"Bring it on! I'll kick their asses too!" Chloe taunted as she danced around on the spot.

"That was so badass! The way Carthyra made a bone-kebab with those two grunts, that was awesome!" Caelynn exclaimed.

"Hey, by the way, you're welcome for healing your cocky ass before the commander whipped your ass." Reia remarked proudly.

"Yeah, yeah. But come on, you gotta admit that my stealth kill on that archer was pretty sick."

"Okay, fine. That was pretty damn cool how you took him out." Rachel laughed maniacally.

"Choked by his own bow, haha!"

"Okay, so anyways, as you-" A sudden knock on the door halted Steph just as she began to resume the story, and four pairs of eyes immediately darted to the source of the noise.

"I'll get it." Max leapt up and swung open the door to reveal a rather unamused Victoria who stood in her pajamas with her hair showing evidence of a lack of sleep.

"Guys. It's almost one in the morning. I am trying to sleep but all I hear-wait, is that wine?" Victoria stopped herself as the sight of a wine bottle entered her peripherals past Max's head.

"Oh, sorry, Vic. We'll keep it down." Max apologized.

"You have wine. I want." Victoria lazily pointed to the bottle in the room.

"Uhh, sure. Come in." Victoria shuffled into the room and shut the door before immediately reaching over for the bottle like an impatient child. However, Rachel quickly snatched it before the blonde could grab it.

"Hold up. This isn't just any ordinary wine. This is a true heroine's wine." Victoria gave Rachel a puzzled, but irritated look.

"Uhh…what?"

"It means that to access this elegant liquor granted to us by Avernon's finest plants, you must prove yourself to be an honorable warrior brave enough to help us destroy Emperor Tartheon and his undead army." Victoria's expression only grew in intensity.

"Is she hammered?" Chloe only shook her head at Victoria's assumption.

"Tipsy, but not wasted." The punk replied.

"Then what the hell is she going on about?"

"She's talking about our tabletop game." Victoria hadn't even noticed the floor that was littered with miniature figurines and dice until Max had pointed it out.

"What the fuck, I didn't even see that." Victoria's eyes caught Steph's as she lifted her head back up. "Wait, Steph?! Where'd you come from?! What the fuck is going on here, I'm confused!" The group, minus Victoria, erupted with laughter as they left the girl to be dazed beyond possible salvation.

"Steph's in town for a little while so we decided to play some D&D." Max explained.

"D&D? What is that, the code word for the drug Rachel is clearly on?"

"No, Dungeons and Dragons. It's a tabletop role-playing game where you take control of your own character in a fantasy world where you can do all sorts of crazy stuff like fight monsters, pillage raider camps…"

"…bang super hot gnome clerics…" Chloe cut Max off and added her own rather personal and vulgar example to her girlfriend's explanation.

"Huh. So you're saying that if I want some of your wine, I have to play your little Daggers and Dorks game or whatever?" Victoria asked, keeping her eyes locked onto the wine bottle.

"Dungeons and Dragons, and yes, that is what you have to do." Max confirmed.

"You're lucky that I'm _really_ in the mood to be anything but sober tonight. Game on, nerds." Victoria slumped down on the floor as Steph dug through her bag for a spare character sheet.

"Okay, Vic. You are a Tabaxi ranger." Steph handed Victoria the sheet and the blonde reluctantly grabbed it before reading through the jumble of terms and numbers.

"Tabaxi? What is that, sounds like an anti-diarrhea medicine." Victoria asked, still trying to make sense of everything on her sheet.

"It's like a cat person. Don't worry, they're badass." Victoria only rolled her eyes at Steph's explanation.

"Oh yay, now I feel _so_ much more comfortable knowing that my character is badass." Vic remarked sarcastically.

"Alright, so what's your name?" Victoria returned a confused expression to Steph's question.

"What? It's Victoria. Do you have short term memory loss or something? I'm confused." Steph audibly laughed at Victoria's misunderstanding when she was clearly referring to her character's name, not her actual self.

"No, Vic. I meant your character."

"Ohhh. Why can't it be Victoria?"

"Because there's no imagination. The others have their own super cool names."

"Which are…?"

"Caelynn, Reia, and Carthyra." Steph pointed to the respective players.

"Fine. My name will be…Vic…Vix…Vixer…ion…Vixerion."

"That's it. Awesome. Welcome to Avernon, Vixerion." Victoria only nervously chuckled. "Okay, so picking up where we left off. You admire the piles of bones and armour that you have just created after your difficult battle with some of Tartheon's grunts, when you see a lone Tabaxi peer its head from behind some trees. It reveals itself before you three. Vixerion, greet yourself."

"Oh, umm…Hi?" Victoria awkwardly waved her hand to the other three girls around her.

"No, introduce yourself. Tell us about your backstory and whatnot."

"Oh, right. Umm…'I am Vixerion, Tab..Taba'…wait, shit." Victoria swiftly glanced at her character sheet to recall what her race was called. "Oh, okay. 'Tabaxi ranger who uhh…was neglected by her very elite parents who she only wished to please. She tried desperately to uhh, satisfy her parents and feel like she was carrying on her family's legacy sufficiently, but uhh, they were never content with what she had accomplished. Eventually, she realized that it wasn't worth it and that she had wasted so much of her early life trying to do the impossible, so she set out to search for a new life for herself.' Yeah, there we go." Victoria proudly smiled, but Max immediately noticed similarities between her character's lore and her friend's own issues. Perhaps Victoria had finally let go of it all and was simply embracing her insecurities? Treating her own past faults by implementing them into a fantasy role-playing game, was that a good thing? Or was she still stuck on it all that her whole world still revolved around the thought of being praised by her parents?

Max chose to believe that Victoria had moved on and that she was willing to get a few laughs from what she had done. She seemed happy instead of sorrowful when she told her tale which seemed like a clear indication of Max's theory.

"See, you're already getting into it. Hey, maybe we'll turn you into a full-on geek pretty soon." Steph teased.

"Don't push your luck, I'm only here for the wine."

"Yeah, we'll see about that."

"Believe me, the second I am ' _eligible_ ' for that wine, I'm out."

"Like I said," Steph winked. "We'll see."

* * *

"The Naga displays its razor-sharp fangs and hisses menacingly at you, letting drops of its slimy spit fling into your face as it locks you into its eyeless gaze. It rapidly bites you in an action so quick, that you could miss it in the blink of an eye." Steph tossed the die just behind her story board once she vividly described the Bone Naga's vicious attack against Vixerion.

"Shit! How much damage?" Victoria asked, gritting her teeth nervously.

"Uhh, eighteen damage total." Steph announced once she quickly counted up the scores of the dice.

Victoria frantically reviewed her remaining health and let out a breath of relief heavy enough to blow off the back wall of Max's room.

"Okay, I still have four hit points left." The whole group grimaced at the number, knowing that the Naga's next turn would ultimately lead to Vixerion's fate.

"Alright, that's the Naga's turn. Caelynn, you're up." Rachel cracked her knuckles upon being called for her turn. She carefully examined her character sheet to pick the perfect attack to try and bring down the evil Naga, but the pressure was on. One wrong move and Vixerion could meet her fatal end.

"I uhh…I throw both my daggers at it!" Rachel flung the dice across the floor praying for a lucky roll. "Eighteen!"

"Eighteen, that hits. Roll for damage." Rachel obliged and showed no hesitation as she threw the die once more. "Uhh...shit! Six!" The whole grouped groaned in dismay at the abysmal number. The Naga would barely be left with a scratch after that attack.

"With a flick of each wrist, you send both your daggers flying straight at the Naga, but the metal clangs off its bony surface, barely causing it to flinch. Carthyra, your turn."

"Alright, I move over there." Chloe pointed to the Naga figurine on the large sheet laid out on the floor that showed a birds-eye view layout of their surrounding area with the appropriate character figurines carefully placed upon it.

The sheet had been very carefully prepared to display the forest clearing that their heroes were in. Overhead images of finely coloured trees and rocks served as a great reference for the battle with the stressful Bone Naga, and it only further improved the girls' experience.

Steph shifted Chloe's elven figurine right next to the Naga as she requested.

"Okay, now I stab that fucker in the dragon balls!" Chloe exclaimed impatiently.

"Chloe, I don't think Nagas have balls." Steph informed as she chuckled.

"Pssh, what are you, the Naga anatomy expert?" The die leapt onto the floor, landing on a pitiful one. "Are you fucking me right now?! A _one_?!"

"As you lift your arms up to bring down your sword onto the Naga, you raise them a little to hastily, causing your fingers to slip and accidently release the blade from your grasp, sending it flying to land fifteen feet behind you." Chloe fell back with her hands clasping her face in pure irritation. "Reia, you're up."

"Oh shit, right. Uhh…" Max's head spiraled out of control as this was her only shot at changing the game to a more positive note. Reia was there to save lives, and she would do just that. "Firstly, I cast Heal on Vixerion."

"Your hands and fingers dance as you chant mystical gnomish phrases to conjure a flow of divine arcane energy that guides itself to Vixerion, surrounding her and healing her wounds. She inhales sharply as a rush of health fills her entire body, and she immediately feels all her energy coming back to her in an instant."

"Reia, you are the best. I owe you." Victoria held a hand to her chest in gratitude.

"Let's kick this Naga's ass and we can call it even."

"Okay, still your turn, Reia."

"Right. I uhh…" Max scanned the map intensively searching for the best possible use for her next action. She chose to avoid attacking spells as best she could in order to better suit the pacifist role, which meant damaging the Naga would be no easy feat, and even if she did, the damage would be negligible.

Then she saw the miniature elven figurine of Carthyra.

 _Her sword! Dammit, how could I forget that?_

"I run over to Carthyra's sword and throw it to her!" Chloe's head darted up in surprise at Max's bold move.

"Uhh, roll a dexterity check on that. Chloe, you too." Max and Chloe both threw their individual dice in unison and equally celebrated as they both scored high.

"You slide down and snatch the sword handle, tearing it out from the ground before getting right back to your feet to hurl the heavy weapon with all your might. The blade flies through the air, spinning like a boomerang before Carthyra leaps up and manages to grip the handle while it's mid-air."

"Hell yeah!" The couple high-fived each other for their success on the daring action, hoping that this luck would carry them to the end.

"Your turn ends there. Vixerion, over to you."

"Okay! I cast Lightning Arrow!" Victoria rapidly calculated her final attack roll. "Uhh, fifteen?" Fingers were crossed.

"Fifteen?" There was a tense silence as beads of sweat began trickling down Max's forehead while Steph determined whether or not the arrow would hit. "That barely hits."

Echoes of cheers and laughter filled the room as well as the sound of hands smacking together to form a cacophony of celebrations.

"Finish this fucker!" Chloe encouraged with her fists clenched and her lips formed in a determined grin.

"Roll for damage." Steph requested. Victoria's hands were visibly shaking as she rolled for what could have been the final time. A poor roll and it would be another wasted turn which the Naga would be able to capitalize on by potentially demolishing the spell-spent Reia or exhausted Caelynn.

"Shit, shit, shit. Uhh…" Victoria frantically counted the scores that her dice had settled on. "Twenty-two!"

There was another silence.

Dead silence.

Max could hear her heart beating unnaturally fast within her chest as if it were trying to force itself free from her ribcage.

Unknowingly, she had leaned forward as did the others as they impatiently waited for Steph to determine the outcome of the attack.

 _Please…Come on…_

Steph looked back at the girls from her papers with a mischievous grin.

"It's dead."

The cheers were almost deafening, and Steph visibly recoiled for a moment as the sudden wave of sheer adrenaline-fueled volume filled her ears. Max would be getting complaints from the other girls in the dorm tomorrow, but she couldn't care.

The Naga was finally dead.

Max felt like a child again. One that gathered with her friends in Seattle to embark on their own amateur tabletop adventures after school hours. One who spent hours writing out character sheets and filling in spell books instead of finishing her homework. One that knew herself in two forms; as herself, and as Reia Littleknight.

It was a brief but memorable phase in her life that she would cherish forever, and she hadn't realized how much she wanted to relive that phase. She just couldn't hold her excitement. She was a twelve year-old inside an eighteen year-old's body.

"Bravo girls, that was pretty impressive. Not gonna lie, I didn't expect you to succeed." Steph applauded the girls lightly.

"You doubt us too much, Steph." Rachel remarked smugly.

"So, Vic. That wasn't so bad, right?" Max looked to Victoria who was taking a sip from her wine glass.

"Huh? Oh, right. It was…it was alright I guess." The blonde muttered, remembering just how uninterested she was initially.

"Alright?" Max arched an eyebrow and tilted her head, not believing even for a second what her friend was saying.

"Okay, fine. It was really fucking fun." The group laughed as they were glad to have inducted a new member to the geek culture.

"Geez, what time is it?" Steph moaned, stretching her limbs that had fallen asleep after three hours of non-stop gaming.

"Time to kick Tartheon's ass!" Chloe exclaimed, seeming even more awake and lively than she was three hours ago.

"I don't think so. Getting to him might take another two hours or so, that is if you skip all the side stuff. Sorry girls, but I'm gonna have to call it a night. I can only nerd out for so long." The whole group whined in synchronised fashion.

"Just _one_ more battle? Please?" Chloe begged with the very same puppy dog eyes she frequently used on Max.

"I wish I could, but I'm spent. But hey, I'd be happy to stay up all night and just chat with you gals." Steph stood up and dusted off her bottom and stretched her legs, verbally groaning as she brought life back into them.

"I'll be honest, I'm sorta tired as well." Max admitted. "You guys are welcome to crash here if you can find the space."

"I call the sofa!" Rachel's hand shot up into the sky as with Tabaxi-like reflexes.

"I call the bed with adorable dork cuddles!" Chloe flung her arms around Max and snuggled into her, prompting laughter from the brunette.

"Victoria?" Max's head turned to Vic, who was yet to make a decision.

"I think I'll head back to my room for the night. Thanks for the game, 'twas fun." Victoria sleepily stood up, nearly stumbling backwards as she adjusted herself to her dead legs.

The group waved goodbye to the departing Victoria, and they could almost faintly hear the girl chuckle to herself just as the door closed.

"Steph? You gonna take off?" Max asked.

"I don't know. I probably should."

"You're welcome to stay if you wanna. Although, you will have to sleep on the floor. I have a few spare blankets and pillows in my closet that you can use."

"Are you sure? I can go if you want me to."

"Are you kidding? You really think I'm gonna boot our Dungeon Master? Make yourself comfortable." Steph shrugged and smiled at Max's generous offer.

"Shit. We're out of wine." Rachel pouted as the final drops of the beverage landed in her glass, barely filling it enough for a small sip.

"No we're not!" Chloe left Max's arms and crawled on all fours to the closet, seemingly too lazy to get up onto her feet. She dug around for a few moments, cursing to herself before finally letting out a proud 'aha!'.

Turning around, Chloe revealed a clean bottle clutched in her hand, beaming with a wide grin as she admired the item.

"Chloe, did you hide a bottle of wine in my closet?!" Max's eyes were wide and shocked.

"Kind of…" Max sunk her head into her hands, not actually angry, just disappointed in herself for being surprised. "Oh come on, don't look at me like you're not glad. You downed gallons tonight!"

 _Okay, that's mildly true._

It was very true.

"Yeah, you're not far from the truth." Max finally admitted.

Chloe cracked open the smuggled wine and poured everyone a glass.

"By the way, this should taste amazing, it's finely aged in Max's closet for two weeks." The group laughed.

The following hour was much calmer than the previous three. The four chatted about everything there was to talk about; school, Steph's life in Ohio, romance. There was never an awkward silence in between, the conversation flowed continuously.

Eventually, eyes began to grow heavy and sentences were beginning to be interrupted by yawns. Taking that as a good cue to call it a night, the girls wished each other good night and shut their eyes; Rachel snuggled on the sofa, Steph surprisingly comfortable on the floor, and Chloe right where Max wanted her.

Max fell asleep slightly upset that the night was over, but she still relished in the images that were still fresh in her mind.

She drifted off, dreaming of dwarves, clerics, and attractive blue-haired elven fighters.

* * *

 **A/N: Again, so sorry for another late update. I'll try to speed things up if I can. :)**

 **This was one of the most fun chapters I've written! I wanted to capture the essence of a real-life D &D session while also making sure people who don't know the game would be able to follow along. Hope I did good. :)**

 **I deliberately cut the game off mid-story since I didn't want to drag the chapter out for too long, but if you want me to, maybe I can make Steph return for the battle with Tartheon. ;)**


	17. One-Night Stand

**Chapter 17: One-Night Stand**

 **A/N [PLEASE READ]: This chapter is very different as it focuses on Rachel and Steph rather than Chloe and Max. Be aware I do not plan to shift this story into Amberich in any way, Pricefield will still be the focus and will return as the focus in chapter 18. This chapter was simply me experimenting with different characters and adding new major plot points to make this story more interesting.**

 **PS: This chapter gets rather NSFW.**

* * *

A groan left Max's dried lips as she attempted to stretch her arms awake. She was momentarily surprised when she wasn't able to move them, but she realized that she was trapped under Chloe's arms as the punk cuddled her like a teddy bear, still fast asleep.

Silently, Max pried herself free and stood up, letting out a long yawn as she brought some life back into her limbs.

She searched the room expecting to find Steph on the floor and Rachel on her sofa, but the two were nowhere to be seen.

Scratching her head, she wondered if the previous night had been a dream, but if this were the case, Max would have likely burst into tears. Fortunately, the room was still in disarray just like it had been last night; the empty wine bottles, the glasses, and the blankets that the other two had used were strewn across the floor, Rachel's blanket only barely making contact with the sofa it was originally on.

 _Where the hell are those two?_

"Morning babe." A familiar mumble came from behind her and Max smiled see a stirring Chloe in her bed.

"Morning, sweetie." Max squatted down to lightly peck her girlfriend on the nose, prompting a giggle from the waking girl.

"What time is it?" Chloe asked as she rubbed her eyes and squinted at the intense sunlight beaming into the room.

Max checked her phone and her eyes widened.

"Jesus, it's half-past one."

"Damn. We sure slept in, huh?" Chloe sat up and stretched her back.

"Yup."

"Where's Steph and Rach?"

"Beats me. They weren't here when I woke up." Max scanned her room once more just to make sure that her eyes weren't deceiving her.

"Wait a second." Chloe leaned down and turned around to reveal a pink bra held between her index finger and thumb.

"That's not mine." Max argued.

"Hell no it isn't. This is Rachel's." A rather interesting mystery was brewing; the disappearance of Rachel Amber and Steph…something. Max hadn't caught her last name the night before.

"Maybe she went back to her room?" Chloe shrugged.

Not seeing why they shouldn't check, the two walked down the hall and knocked gently on Rachel's door which was quickly followed by a muffled 'Shit!' from inside.

The two girls placed their ears right up against the door and immediately heard a mix of fumbling, whispered shouts, and cursing.

The most interesting part of it all was that it seemed that Rachel wasn't alone. Max heard another female voice inside.

 _Who the hell is in there?_

"No, just get the fucking-No, stop! Hurry!"

"Rachel? You okay in there?" Chloe called, stifling a laugh.

"Uhh, yeah! I'm a-okay! I'll be there in just a sec!" More sounds emitted from within. "Where the fuck's my bra?!"

Suddenly, the second voice seemed ever so familiar. Max began to recognize it as none other than their Dungeon Master.

 _Wait a minute…Did Rachel and Steph…_

Max and Chloe both covered their mouths as they tried their best to prevent eruptions of laughter to spill out from their lips.

"God, this is what I get for not doing my fucking laundry!" Rachel groaned frustratingly.

"Rachel, just open the door." Chloe asked.

"Just one second!" Her voice was definitely urgent and coming from all over the room as if she was moving about hastily.

"Please, we have something for you."

"Ugh, fine." Some inaudible conversation followed but it seemed like a short argument that mostly consisted of 'shh's as well as a cluster of other whispered words that neither Max or Chloe could make out. "Just stay there and shh!"

Rachel finally opened the door just barely enough so that her head and shoulders peered out from behind the door.

"What's up, guys?" Rachel nervously giggled, lightly panting. Her shoulders were completely bare, and although Max couldn't see her entire body, she was certain that Rachel was in her room topless.

"Looking for this?" Chloe held up the pink bra which Rachel reacted to with widened eyes. She immediately snatched the clothing in a flash of hand movement, tearing it out of Chloe's hand and hiding it behind her back. She chuckled nervously.

"So uhh, how'd you sleep last night?" Max asked, pretending to be oblivious.

"Oh yeah, it was _greeaaaat_ , I just uhh, got up early and head back to my room." Rachel was clearly lying through her teeth, only pushing Max's suspicions further towards the truth.

"Oh, okay. Hey, you know where Steph went?" Max asked.

"Oh, she uhh…she went back to the motel-AHH OW! Hotel. I mean hotel." Rachel winced as she was seemingly pinched by someone from behind the door in the middle of her sentence. It was getting harder for Max to hold back the hysterics.

"Hey, is it okay if we come in, I gotta ask you about-"

"No no no!" Rachel rushed to interrupt Chloe before she let herself in. "I mean, uhh…I just got to uhm…clean up. Yeah, my room is _hella_ messy. You know me! Clean, clean, clean!" More forced chuckles came out from her mouth as Rachel's smile slowly faded despite her efforts to maintain it for the sake of hiding her rather obvious secret.

For an actress, she was putting on a very poor show.

"Oh hey, isn't that Steph's shirt?" Chloe pointed to the familiar orange tribal dragon t-shirt that perfectly resembled Steph's that was messily laid on Rachel's makeup desk as if it were thrown there.

Again, Rachel's eyes widened with the fear of getting caught so she instinctively moved her body over to cover the sight line.

"Steph's shirt? I have _no_ idea what you're talking about."

Suddenly from behind the door came a sneeze that was clearly not from Rachel. Her whole body tensed up and she glared to an unknown target off to the side and where the noise originated from.

"Sorry, your room is really dusty!" There was no mistaking their Dungeon Master's voice.

"Shh! Why would you-UGH!" Rachel groaned loudly before looking back at Max and Chloe. "Just give me a sec." She requested frustratingly.

The door shut and it was back to muffled noises from the inside.

"I can't believe you just fucking sneezed."

"You weren't doing a very good job of hiding it anyways."

"You don't know that! For all I know, they could have been buying it completely!"

"Rach, a monkey wouldn't have bought it."

"How would you know? Monkeys are pretty damn smart."

"They still didn't buy it for a second."

"Just shut up."

The door swung open, this time revealing a fully clothed Rachel who silently gestured the two inside.

As soon as Max entered, her eyes were immediately drawn to Rachel's bed in the opposite corner where an also clothed Steph was sitting cross-legged.

"So. You two seemed to have had a good night." Chloe quipped with a smirk.

"Zip it, Price." Rachel sighed with her palm against her forehead. "Okay fine, Steph and I had sex, but we were both drunk!"

"Actually, you were the one who was mostly drunk, I was still pretty sober." Steph corrected only prompting another glare from Rachel.

"Whatever, this was a one-night stand type of thing that will _never happen again_. In fact, it never happened in the first place. Steph? Who's Steph?" Rachel was clearly flustered and trying her best at damage control, but she was obviously regretting her drunken mistake.

"Rach, we're not judging you or anything. Max and I do it all the time." Max roughly nudged Chloe in the arm, causing her to let out a sharp 'ow'.

"Yeah, but you guys are different. You two are actually in love and shit. This was just a big mistake."

"Ouch, Rach. That kinda stings." Steph sarcastically held a hand up to her chest in offense. Rachel returned with a middle finger.

"Ugh. Hey, you were being pretty irresponsible by sleeping with me when I was clearly drunk." Rachel excused.

"Oh come on, do you _really_ think I'd miss a chance to sleep with _Rachel Amber_?" Rachel was unamused at Steph's response.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"I don't know, does it?"

"No."

"Then no." There was an awkward silence that filled the room momentarily before Steph quickly broke it. "Rach, was I not good in bed, is that it?"

"No, no, no! You were fucking…I mean, you were fine."

"Okay, then what? If you think that you've lead me on, then forget it. You're clearly upset so I wouldn't push you to turn this into a relationship or anything. This'll just be one night we could both forget. Like you said, 'Who's Steph?'."

There was another silence as the girls waited for Rachel's response, Steph in particular.

"I want breakfast." It was all she muttered before walking out of the room. Max and Chloe both looked at Steph and shrugged before following behind.

* * *

Rachel stared blankly into the rear cushion of the sofa as she lay on her side uncomfortably. She just couldn't sleep. With the alcohol in her system, she assumed that she would have been able to fall asleep immediately, but something was off.

There was a feeling in her stomach that she couldn't shake, something that she couldn't put her finger on.

 _I'll just sneak back to my room, I'm sure Max would understand._

Just as she shifted to the opposite direction facing the rest of Max's room, she noticed Steph sitting cross-legged on the blankets that had been laid out for her to sleep on with the half-empty wine bottle next to her.

"Can't sleep?" The redhead softly whispered. Rachel nodded.

Steph patted the vacant spot next to her, gesturing Rachel to come sit next to her.

Rachel didn't question it and simply obliged. Steph poured her a glass which Rachel was quick to drink from, hoping that the feeling she had would somehow leave.

Unfortunately, it wasn't that easy.

"Look at 'em." Steph's eyes were fixed onto Max and Chloe who were cuddled tightly on Max's bed, fast asleep in each other's embrace. "They really are a cute couple."

"Yeah. I know." Rachel agreed before taking another sip. Absentmindedly, she had ended up downing the glass of wine in two gulps.

Steph's head hung low and she stared at the floor, seemingly trapped in thought.

"What?" Rachel asked.

"Nothing."

"Come on, you can tell me."

"It's just. I kinda miss Chloe, you know?" Steph finally looked up and directly into Rachel's eyes. In the darkness, Rachel noticed how beautifully Steph's blue eyes glowed.

The feeling in her stomach grew and Rachel gulped hard.

"Wha…what do you mean by 'miss her'?" Rachel stammered.

"Like, being together. She was my first _real_ relationship, and after we broke up, I got the fear that she'd be my _last_ real relationship."

"Oh. I mean, I'm sure you've met plenty of girls in Ohio, right?"

"It's not that easy, Rach. Sure, there are a lot of girls that I would enjoy being with, but it's whether or not they like me back. After Chloe, I haven't been able to date _anyone_ else."

"Because you didn't want to?"

"Rachel, if I didn't want to date someone, I wouldn't be this upset."

"Right." There was a brief silence that to Rachel seemed infinite. The atmosphere of the night was extremely soothing that Rachel scolded herself for not realizing it sooner. She had never experienced silence like this before.

"You wanna know something funny?" Steph's whispering voice brought Rachel out of her temporary daze.

"What?"

"I used to have the _biggest_ crush on you back when we were sixteen." Rachel's eyes widened and she felt her cheeks grow warm. She was relieved that it was dark.

"Really?" Rachel forced a chuckle to mask her flustered mood. This wasn't like her. She was talking to Steph, the girl who had been guiding her and her friends through a fantasy journey through a fictitious forest of make-believe monsters only a few hours ago. Why all of a sudden did she feel so nervous talking to her?

"Yeah. I never really acted on it since well…I kinda thought you and Chloe were a thing back then…it's complicated." Steph vaguely explained.

"Huh." Rachel immediately regret blurting out such an uninterested-seeming reply.

' _Huh'?_ That's _your reply? 'HUH'?!_

"God, I don't even know why I'm telling you this, it's not like it matters. You probably think I'm kinda lame."

"No, it's cool. Also, I wouldn't call you lame."

"Why not?"

"Then you might act revenge by killing off Caelynn." They both quietly laughed, still careful as to not wake the sleeping couple on the bed next to them.

"Can I uhh…can I tell you something?" Steph asked, twiddling her thumbs.

"Of course."

"Promise not to tell anyone?"

"Swear on my life."

"The reason I came here…was to see if I could get back together with Chloe." Rachel tried her best to hide her shock, and she was grateful that she was in a dimly lit space.

"But then you heard about Max…" Steph simply nodded.

"I sorta hated Max even before I met her. I know it sounds shitty. But I'm kinda glad things ended up like it did. Max is a great person, and I'm glad Chloe has her. She deserves her _way_ more than she does me."

"Steph, don't say that. You're an awesome gal. I don't see why anyone _wouldn't_ wanna date you." Rachel self-consciously placed her hand on Steph's shoulder, almost retracting it before things became awkward, but she kept it there when Steph smiled.

"Thanks, Rach. I'm glad you think that." Steph placed her hand on top of Rachel's and the blonde nearly mistook the gesture as a way to get her hand off of her shoulder.

They both silently stared at each other, smiling, and Rachel felt the feeling in her stomach begin to spiral out of control. Her heart raced rapidly as she suddenly realized that she was inching closer to Steph's face out of her own control, and it wasn't long before their lips met.

The kiss started out very softly before gradually growing in intensity. Steph's hand climbed up to Rachel's cheek, and Rachel's wrapped itself around the back of Steph's neck to gently push her in for more.

Rachel's heart began racing even faster, and the sheer silence of the room amplified the beating in her chest that echoed like a machine gun.

Abruptly, Steph pulled away much to Rachel's dismay, but their faces still barely missed contact.

"Wait, how drunk are you right now?" Steph asked, her warm breath sending chills as they hit Rachel's lips.

"Drunk enough." Rachel replied, despite feeling rather sober at the moment. It was an almost impulsive reply that she felt like she only said to give herself an excuse to go through with this.

Her body was filled with desire, but a part of her didn't want Steph to know. She wasn't thinking ahead. Would she be judged if she told her the truth? Rachel preferred not to take chances. Tonight would just be a one-time thing, an experience just to fulfill a burning want that festered in her head.

"That's a good amount." With that, Steph plunged right back in, picking up right where they left off as if they had never stopped in the first place.

Their lips danced across each other's, alternating from lower lip to the upper, keeping the warm contact alive through the moments, before Rachel felt Steph's tongue make contact with her lower lip, almost as if she was asking for permission to take things further.

Their tongues mixed, and a sweet moment turned intimate, with Rachel running her hands across Steph's back and the redhead doing the same. She felt a hand run under the back of her shirt and up to her bra, and the sudden rush of excitement caused her to exhale sharply.

Steph seemed like she was waiting for Rachel to pull back, but in reality, she was waiting impatiently for the girl to unfasten the clip, and after a few moments passed, Steph finally did.

Not leaving the kiss for even a split second, Rachel reached under her shirt and slipped her bra out through her sleeve before tossing it carelessly behind her.

Adrenaline pumped through her veins, and the feeling that had been growing in her stomach had died, only because she had fulfilled it. It wasn't such an unknown feeling anymore.

Rachel eagerly grabbed the bottom corners of her shirt to throw it off but to her displeasure, Steph pulled back.

"Wait." Rachel began to fear that Steph was regretting her choice or that she had done something wrong.

"What? Did I do something wrong?" Rachel fearfully asked.

"No, of course not. That was… _wow_." Steph's voice seemed breathless beyond the whispers, and Rachel internally breathed a sigh of relief to know that she hadn't screwed up.

"Then what is it?" Steph gestured over to the still fast asleep Max and Chloe next to them, and Rachel finally realized just why she had stopped.

Steph looked down seemingly disappointed that their tender moment didn't evolve into something unforgettable, but Rachel wouldn't allow that.

"We could go to my room." Steph's azure eyes lit up at the suggestion, and she didn't speak another word before springing up to her feet and grabbing Rachel by the wrist and out of the room, rushing down the hall and nearly breaking down Rachel's door.

* * *

"Rachel? Helloooo?" A hand waved in front of Rachel's eyes, snapping her out of the daydream and back to reality.

"What? What's happening?" Chloe sharply chuckled at Rachel's lack of attention.

"You were _really_ out of it, weren't you?" Rachel didn't say a word in response. Instead her eyes were drawn to the red-haired girl sitting across from her with her head hung over a cup of coffee.

 _These feelings. They'll pass, right? No big deal, I'm sure I'll get over her quick._

"Uhh, sorry. What's going on?" Rachel asked, quickly averting her gaze before Steph noticed she was staring.

"Vinnie invited us to a Firewalk concert on Friday. You in?" Chloe explained.

"Oh, yeah. Of course." Rachel sounded far from excited. So much was rushing through her head that Firewalk seemed like such a mundane thing to her.

"That is not how Rachel Amber would respond to _Firewalk_." Chloe joked. "Something is clearly wrong right now, what's up?"

"No, it's fine. I'm just…tired." Rachel excused.

"Rach, are you still beating yourself up about what you did last night 'cause like I said-"

"It's not about last night, okay!" Rachel raised her voice as she cut Chloe off, feeling a sudden wave of irritation as all she wanted to do was forget the lingering feelings she had for Steph. "Last night was just stupid, and that's it."

"God, Rach! You don't have to remind me every fucking minute!" Steph bolted up from her seat, nearly toppling over the coffee mug from the sudden movement. She stormed out of the diner with an angered expression and the girls were only able to stare speechlessly as she marched down the sidewalk, passing by their window.

 _Oh fuck. I majorly screwed up, shit!_

Rachel immediately scolded herself and needed to fight the urge to ram her head into the diner wall right then and there. She instantly realized that amidst her haste to forget all of her feelings and move forward, she had completely ignored how Steph would feel about all this.

"I…I gotta go." Rachel mumbled before standing up and speed-walking out of the diner urgently, with only Steph on her mind.

* * *

"God fucking dammit, pick up!" Rachel clutched her phone viciously as the ring tone went on for seemed like millennia without a response.

She furiously groaned as the call was left unanswered for the fourth time, and at this point, she felt like giving up.

 _Great going, idiot. The one girl you start having feelings for and you fuck up everything and lose her._

Rachel felt like breaking down right there in the parking lot and crying. She had wasted her one shot at creating something amazing by degrading the one person that was willing to start it.

Everything about pretending like her feelings didn't exist was forgotten after she quickly realized just how much she was potentially throwing away. Her regretful impulse had shattered her chances, and now she was facing the consequences.

Heartbreak. Caused by herself.

She wiped away the forming tears in her eyes and gritted her teeth and clenched her fists before stomping off to her own car, a used Mercedes that she had Chloe do a service on when she first bought it.

She jammed the key into the ignition, bringing the vehicle to life before cramming the stick shift into reverse and flooring the gas pedal, causing the tires to screech as she left the parking lot.

Her vision slightly blurred from time to time on the drive as her eyes forced tears, but she was quick to wipe them away.

She didn't know where she was going, for all she cared she could have been headed towards a cliff. Or Portland.

Ten minutes of aimless driving passed and Rachel was trapped in thought. She made random turns at intersections and wandered the streets of Arcadia Bay with no set goal in mind. Just guzzle the fuel in her car and let her instinct take her wherever.

Eventually, her peripherals caught a very familiar red hatchback in the parking lot of the local bar, one that boasted a menacing dragon sticker on the rear door window.

 _Steph._

She slammed the brakes before veering into the parking lot, carelessly halting her car diagonally in one of the vacant slots available. Upon closer inspection, it was undoubtedly Steph's car.

Ecstatic beyond belief but also nervous to the point where she began sweating, Rachel flung open the door and immediately scanned the room, skipping over filthy bald heads and trucker caps.

Then she saw her.

A white beanie perched on top of short red hair and the back of an orange t-shirt.

Rachel didn't know what to do. She just stood there, dazed and unable to move at all from her spot.

She jumped when she saw Steph get up from her stool and place a bill of money on the counter before turning around and freezing the second her eyes met Rachel's.

For a split second, Steph seemed almost glad, but her face quickly switched to disgraced and offended eyes that refused to look at Rachel's face again.

"Steph. I uhh…" Rachel stammered. Steph ignored her and simply walked out of the bar, but to Rachel's surprise, rather than bolting off, Steph began pulling the passenger door handle to Rachel's Mercedes only to find it locked. She looked back at the frozen girl expectantly for a moment.

"What are you waiting for, let's go." Steph demanded. Rachel didn't need to give it a second thought. She just unlocked the doors and turned the ignition.

The drive back to Blackwell was silent. Neither girl said a word or even looked at each other, as Steph preferred to stare blankly out the window while Rachel concentrated on driving.

Every few seconds, Rachel would contemplate whether or not she should glance at Steph, but she fought the urge despite how powerful it was.

She parked her car in one of the endless empty spots in the Blackwell parking lot and Steph didn't hesitate to exit the vehicle. She sauntered off towards the dormitories and wondering what else she could do, Rachel followed.

When Rachel had caught up inside the dorms, Steph was waiting outside her room, seemingly waiting for Rachel to unlock the door.

Still without a word leaving her mouth, Rachel obliged like a maid and they both stepped inside the room, remaining silent for many awkward, but tense minutes.

 _Come on, Rachel, say something. You can't just sit here and expect her to say the first word. After all, this was your fuckup._

"Steph…I…I'm sorry." Rachel started. It was a cliché way to start, but one she could work with.

Steph didn't reply. She just stared out the window with her back turned towards Rachel.

"I know you're pissed at me, and I get it. I said some really horrible things and I wish I could take it all back but I know I can't." Still no response. Rachel was beginning to lose hope. "Look, I just want you to know-"

"Did you mean it?" Steph cut her off, turning around rapidly to face the other girl with her arms crossed.

"Wha…what do you mean?" Rachel stammered.

"What you said last night, about how I would be able to get a girlfriend and that you couldn't see why anyone wouldn't want to date me."

"Of course. I meant every word."

"Then why did you treat last night like I was some trash you found off the side of the road?!"

"Because! I…" Rachel struggled to find the right words. She was on the verge of confessing everything, but immediately held off as she realize the potential damage.

"Because _what_?! What is it because of, Rachel?!"

"Because I like you!" The words blurted out her through tears and heavy breathing. Steph's expression swiftly turned to mild confusion and the room went silent.

"You…you _like_ me?" Steph asked.

"Yes…I _like_ you. A _lot_." There was another long silence as Steph took it all in.

"I don't get it. You and I have sex, the morning after you treat it all like shit, and now you're saying you have _feelings_ for me? What the fuck is this, Rach?!"

"I know it sounds ridiculous. When I go over it all in my head I think that way too. But last night to me was special. I guess…I guess I was scared to admit it. I'm sorry about _everything_ , I was a total asshole and-" Before Rachel could finish apologizing, Steph grabbed her by her cheeks and kissed her passionately, catching her off guard.

When she pulled back, the room grew silent once again as both girls stared at each other, still taking in the moment.

"I…I…I don't…" Steph hushed the stammering Rachel.

"You talk too much." She dove back in ferociously, causing Rachel to stumble backwards onto her bed from the sheer force that Steph applied to her.

Her hands ran up and down Rachel's stomach and eventually under her shirt, causing the blonde to lightly moan at the contact.

Steph briefly pulled back and threw off her shirt hastily before diving right back into Rachel's lips, already knowing exactly what was going to unfold.

Rachel was overjoyed. Adrenaline filled her veins as she felt her hands run up Steph's leg all the way up her jeans.

She began asking herself if this would start something special between her and Steph, or if this would simply be a fling that both girls would forget once they drifted apart.

For now, that didn't matter. All that mattered was her and Steph right there at that very moment.

This time, she would relish every moment.

This time, she wouldn't make the same mistakes.

* * *

 **A/N: This chapter's very awkward and different and I took a bit of a risk when uploading this.**

 **Keep in mind, this does not mean this story will turn into an Amberich story, not at all. I wanted to add a fresh plot point to make things interesting so I hope you enjoy it.**

 **Next chapters will definitely return things back to normal, Pricefield fluff will continue, so don't worry.**

 **Be sure to let me know what you think of this new pairing. If a lot of people don't care for it that much, I'll try and avoid pushing it into chapters a lot so that people don't have to read what they don't want to.**

 **Stay awesome!**


	18. First Impressions, A Second Time

**Chapter 18: First Impressions, A Second Time**

"I'm just worried about them, you know?" Max rubbed her arm nervously as she strolled down the sidewalk closely next to Chloe towards the ever so recognizable Two Whales Diner.

School had just ended for the day so the two both agreed that a warm meal and casual date was well-deserved on a chilly Monday afternoon.

"I am too. I'm sure they worked it out, and if not, we'll be there for both of them." Chloe smiled reassuringly and that brought comfort for Max as it usually did. She huddled closer to her girlfriend and subtly shivered as gust of autumn wind breezed through.

The two eagerly stepped into the diner and was immediately hit by the warm indoor heat as well as the mouth-watering aroma of pancakes and bacon.

 _Oh man, that smell never gets old._

Max mentally listed exactly what she wanted to eat for the day but pouted after she realized that she had basically replicated the entire menu.

Both girls were shocked to recognize Steph and Rachel casually conversing in Max and Chloe's usual booth, seemingly calm and in fact, laughing.

 _Speak of the devil._

The two approached curiously and it was Rachel who was the first to meet the eyes of her friends.

"I see you guys kissed and made up." Chloe's joke caused Steph to nearly spit out her coffee, barely holding it back in her mouth.

"Uhh, yeah. I apologized for being such a major bitch and we both talked things out. It's all good." Rachel explained.

"That's awesome. So uhm…what about…you know…"

"Oh, uhh…we both decided that uhh…it'd be best if we forgot it all happened." Max frowned. It would have been amazing for Rachel to have gotten together with Steph. After some thought they seemed like an amazing couple, but obviously not as good as her and Chloe.

It was a shame, but she didn't want to occupy the role of Cupid and force the two together. She was just glad they came to a resolution.

Max and Chloe sat with Rachel and Steph for their meal. Although they didn't have the date they planned to have, they were both glad to be in the others' company, and they were more than happy to chat as they ate.

Max put down her fork after the last bite of her Belgian Waffle around the same time Chloe had finished her last pancake.

"Alright, we should go." Max suggested, responded with a nod from Chloe.

"You guys coming?" Chloe asked the other two as she stood up. Rachel and Steph only looked at each other and shrugged.

"Uhh, no thanks. Rach and I are probably just gonna chat some more. You guys go on ahead." Rachel smiled and although Max felt a hint of suspicion, she played it off as just her typical paranoia and headed off with Chloe after waving goodbye.

She wasn't pleased to return to the chilling air of Arcadia Bay's October, but the warmth from her tea and her waffle certainly kept her body temperature nice and toasty. She of course also had Chloe to keep her warm as well.

"I'm glad they made up." Chloe remarked.

"Yeah."

"Shame they didn't become a thing."

"I know right, I was sorta hoping for that. Would have been nice to have another couple to hang out with."

"Yeah, I know but-" Chloe's sentence trailed off as she suddenly stopped in her tracks.

"What is it, babe?" Max asked worryingly.

"What was that about another couple to hang out with?" Chloe smirked and pointed to the diner window, where they saw Steph and Rachel passionately kissing, both of them leaning over the table to reach each other's lips.

They both laughed at how obvious they made it, it was almost as if they had posted a massive neon sign above their heads without even knowing it.

"Hold on, you got any post-it notes on you?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah, why?" Max dug into her messenger back and pulled out a wad of yellow post-it notes along with a pen, and Chloe quickly jotted down some words on the back side before proudly showing her work off to Max.

'You guys suck at hiding it.', the note read. Max giggled as Chloe smacked it onto the window so that the writing faced inside for Rachel and Steph to read.

Chloe knocked on the glass causing both girls to jump in shock and immediately halt their kiss, turning their attention to the source of the noise.

Both of them blushed in unison as Chloe stuck her tongue out before wrapping her arm around Max and heading off back down the sidewalk, mixing the sound of laughter with the audible sounds of the wind.

* * *

"God, the look on their faces!" Max cackled with laughter as she and Chloe entered the vibrant and brazen bedroom of Chloe Price.

"Their cheeks went redder than peppers!" Chloe added, struggling to spit out words through her own fits of laughter.

The two eventually calmed down and Max dove face first onto Chloe's messy bed, sinking her face into the sheets and spreading her limbs across.

Chloe crawled up next to her girlfriend and slowly wrapped her arms around her, snuggling her and leaving feathery kisses on the back of her head.

Max's head turned to face Chloe and she stared warmly into her blue eyes with a tired, but meaningful smile, and words didn't need to be spoken for the two to read each other's minds and move in for a short kiss.

Short soon turned sweet, and sweet quickly turned intimate. An empty house, Chloe's bed, and the two in each other's company formed the perfect recipe for a little mischief.

Things quickly escalated and their kisses became aggressive as their hand movement became arousing.

Unfortunately, the moment didn't last long.

"Chloe! Are you up there?" Joyce's voice came muffled and distant from downstairs, instantly killing the mood and halting what could have been something rather special.

 _OH GOD FUCKING DAMMIT._

"Oh, for fuck's sake." Chloe cursed. "Yeah!" She called out in response to her mother.

"Can you come downstairs? I need to talk to you."

"Are you serious…" Chloe released a frustrated grunt of disapproval. "Is David with you?" She called out knowing that she would never even look at her step-father again after what had happened a few days ago.

"No, he is not." A hint of annoyance was evident in her mother's voice, seemingly at the fact that she highly disliked the negative relationship her daughter had with her husband.

Chloe looked back at Max with a frown, but a nod from the brunette assured her that she would be okay in her room for a while.

"Sorry, I'll be back ASAP then we can sneak out of my window." Chloe apologized, lightly pecking Max on the lips before skipping down the stairs.

Her mother waited for her sitting calmly but with a look of concern at the dining table, and she beckoned Chloe to sit across from her.

Reluctantly, Chloe obliged and a brief silence initially was broken by a soft-spoken Joyce.

"Chloe, I need you to be honest with me." Her mother started, staring at her locked fingers resting in front of her on the table.

"That depends. What do you want me to be honest about?"

"Chloe. Please."

 _Mom sounds genuinely serious about something. Guess I should cut her some slack._

"Fine." Chloe crossed her arms in typical rebellious fashion.

"Why didn't you tell me you and Max were dating?" A wave of shock surged through Chloe's spine and her eyes widened for a brief moment. An expression of surprise quickly turned to distaste as she realized that David would have been the one to tell her.

 _Fucking loud-mouthed prick._

"I don't know. Probably 'cause you'd just tell me to stop seeing her just like Limp-Dick David."

"Chloe, do you _honestly_ think that just because I'm married to him means I'm going to side with him every time?"

"You've been doing it for the past three years, so I wouldn't see why you wouldn't." Her mother sighed out in exhaustion.

"David told me everything. Everything about how you insulted him and _threatened_ him."

"The fucker _slapped_ me!" Chloe brought her hands down onto the table with a loud thud, briefly causing the items on its surface to quake lightly from the force.

"I know, and I've talked to him about it. I'm very mad at him for what he did so I thought it'd be best if he took some time away from home."

"Good! You should send him to some shithole motel somewhere. Or prison."

"Chloe, you're missing my point. What matters right now is Max."

 _Here we fucking go again._

"For God's sake, she's not a bad person! She's done absolutely nothing besides make me happier than I've ever been-"

"I never said she was bad!" Joyce cut her daughter off, catching the girl slightly off guard.

"Then what?"

"Chloe, I'm mad at you because you kept this from me. I want you to be happy, I really do. It may not seem like it but you're _everything_ to me. You're more important than David. I…I just want you to be honest with me." Chloe took a moment to take in every word that her mother had just said, specifically the part where she admitted that she was more important than David.

"So…you don't hate me?" Joyce chuckled.

"Of course I don't. If this girl can truly make you as happy as you said, then I'm just glad." A subtle smile began to crack its way onto Chloe's lips.

"Wow, mom. I uhh…thanks, I guess." Joyce chuckled at Chloe's minor gratitude.

"I care about you Chloe, no matter how it may seem to you."

 _This means I have to hug her now, right?_

Chloe smiled and leaned over the table to give her mother a warm hug. She had expected far worse, but it was perhaps just paranoia that had implanted the idea that her mother would dislike Max just as David did.

"Just know that I am very disappointed with David. The fact that he instructed you to stop seeing her just…infuriates me. Also that he _hit_ you as well? I'm so sorry, Chloe."

"It's okay mom. He's got a weak arm." They both chuckled despite rather dark context of the joke.

"By the way, you do know this means we need to have dinner with Max, right?" Chloe rolled her eyes and groaned loudly. "I'm serious! Please let her know I would love to get a chance to meet her beyond just a 'hello' at the Two Whales."

 _I mean…she's literally upstairs so…_

"Umm, how about right now?" Chloe asked.

"What do you mean?" Joyce arched an eyebrow in confusion.

"Max, baby! Can you come down here?" Chloe called. A few moments later, a shy-looking Max revealed herself and her eyes widened once she saw Joyce. She nervously waved.

"Hi, Joyce. How are you?" As Max awkwardly greeted Chloe's mother, the woman was stunned to see the girl she had planned to see in a few days time suddenly appear in front of her as if Chloe was a magician.

"Hello, Max. I uhh, I didn't know you were here." Joyce nervously chuckled.

"Babe, come sit." Chloe pulled back a chair and ushered her girlfriend to sit down next to her. Reluctantly, Max obeyed and took her seat, anxiously smiling at Joyce as she twiddled her thumbs.

"Max, I'm sure you've heard about what David said about you and I wanted to apologize. It's not fair that he judged you so quickly like that when clearly you've been so wonderful to Chloe." Max blushed at the touching words.

"It's okay. I get that David can be over-protective from what Chloe has told me." Joyce smiled at Max's forgiving words.

"He can be like that, but you can't blame him. The man's been through Hell and back, so he's going to be a bit irrational. Trust me, he can be very caring and accepting if you get to know him, he's just difficult to make a good first impression on, is all." Joyce explained.

 _Must. Resist. Urge. To argue._

"I understand, Joyce. Hopefully I'm able to talk to him under better circumstances."

 _Better circumstances? Sounds like another thing David can't do. On the list up with being a good parent and not a total asshole._

Chloe fought the urge to speak her thoughts out loud for the sake of keeping the conversation in a less-hostile tone and avoid unnecessary tension.

"I would love to get to know you better, Max. Now that I know you and Chloe are together, I want to…repair any bridges that David may have damaged."

"Oh, of course. Uhh, what would you like to know?

* * *

"…and Seattle was so amazing for shots. The urban atmosphere made for some great scenery that I'd never tried photographing before. It was so cool." Joyce attentively listened as Max described her life in Seattle and so did Chloe. Typically, she wouldn't have been interested to hear about photography and the artistic vibes of the city, but when it was Max talking, she could listen all day.

"That sounds amazing. Never been to the city myself, so I'd love to see some of your pictures." Joyce said, sipping from her cup of tea.

"I keep around some of my photos in my bag, let me see if I can find any from Seattle." Max reached over to her side and dug through her khaki messenger bag, letting Joyce get a good view of the stylish apparel.

"That's a very nice bag, where did you get it?" Max simply chuckled and glanced at Chloe.

"Actually, Chloe got it for me as an anniversary present." Chloe grinned, trying her best to not look smug.

" _My_ Chloe?" Joyce asked with a baffled open-jaw. Max simply nodded. "I am stunned."

"Well I mean, I have hella good taste, am I right?" She couldn't help it. She just had to boast her gift proudly, but Max expected nothing less from her girlfriend.

"So this was for your one-month anniversary?" Joyce asked. Both girls nodded in synchronised fashion. "I still can't believe you managed to hide this from me for a whole month."

"Well, Max and I are awesome ninjas." Chloe sent a wink to Max. "But you should see what Max got me." Chloe immediately dove into her pocket to retrieve her keys, an action that she had performed so many times that she had lost track. She was so proud and adored the locket so much that on many nights, she found herself simply staring at it and admiring its simple yet elegant beauty before bed. Equally, she never hesitated to show it off to her friends. In fact, she searched for every opportunity to do so, much to Max's embarrassment. This time was no different.

Joyce carefully examined the intricate details and cursive engraved writing on the trinket and her eyes lit up in awe. Chloe noticed a small tear form in the corner of her mother's eye when the locket was opened, revealing the picture that Chloe had looked at so much that she would have been able to perfectly describe every single detail and dot of colour on it.

"This is absolutely beautiful. Max, you made this for Chloe?" Joyce couldn't keep her eyes off the charm even when she was talking to Max.

"Not me. I had this shop have it done, but I picked out the photo and the quote." Max blushed as she cringed at her own gift, something that Chloe found irresistibly adorable.

"You are such a sweetheart." Joyce wiped a single tear from her eye as she continued to stare deeply into the item.

"Jeez, mom, it's not like she's giving it to _you_." Chloe joked. "Can I uhh…can I have it back?" Joyce handed back the keys to Chloe, who had grown such a dependency on having the locket with her at all times that losing possession of it even for a minute made her feel uneasy. She put the keys back into her pocket, but not without giving the locket one final glance, reading over the text printed on the back.

' _You are my angel'._

It never got old.

* * *

Chloe's face was illuminated by the laptop screen displaying 'Titanic' which acted as the lone source of light in her dimly lit bedroom.

Max snoozed so peacefully with her head gently resting on Chloe's lap and her body cuddled up on the bed as Chloe ran her fingers through the sleeping girl's hair.

Chloe hadn't even bothered to pay attention to the movie, she had seen it three times already and an even better spectacle was right there before her. Watching Max sleep was in her mind, slightly creepy, but it was an inane amusement that pleased Chloe every time, particularly on movie nights like these.

The punk just smiled, still letting the muted film play in the background.

Staring at Max gave her a lot of time to think. To think about every moment that the two had gone through together. It felt surreal that it had already been more than a month since they had gotten together, and not a single moment was one she regretted. She cherished every second, every frame of her time with Max.

 _I love you so much._

That thought repeated in her head like a broken record, reading over and over again. Things had never been so bright ever since her father had passed, and although she still enjoyed everything that she had experienced in her friendship with Rachel, what she felt with Max was so much more different, much more intense. A sensation she couldn't describe, and she couldn't be bothered to do so. So long as she had Max, she couldn't care about anything else but her one and only.

Chloe closed the movie and shut the laptop off before gingerly setting Max off her lap and onto the bed. She was grateful that Max wasn't a light sleeper.

Giving one final glance to her slumbering girlfriend, she left the room with a pack of cigarettes and her lighter and went downstairs.

She really didn't know why she wanted to go outside, perhaps she just needed some fresh air. She scolded herself for wanting to smoke as she had recently tried to quit for Max's sake. However, it was something easier said than done and Chloe promised that this would be the last one, something that she had said to herself countless times.

Grabbing her coat from the rack next to the door, she headed outside, immediately shivering once the cool rush of the late-night breeze hit her.

She huddled herself and rubbed her arms before exhaling a visible breath of air that drifted up from her lips.

She popped a cigarette into her mouth, shielding the lighter's flame with her hands and igniting the piece and immediately sucking in a long drag.

The smoke floated up into the night sky as she puffed out, and Chloe simply watched as the cloud of dark grey slowly faded.

As the cigarette between her fingers gradually fizzled away and Chloe drowned herself in her own thoughts, she suddenly felt two arms slowly wrap themselves around her shoulders from behind her.

"What are you doing?" Max's soft, but sleepy voice whispered in her ear as she lightly kissed the back of her head.

"Just…just thinking. Go inside babe, it's cold." Chloe said as she stomped out the remainder of her cigarette.

"It's not that cold. You're just a little baby." Max teased, prompting a sharp chuckle from Chloe.

The punk turned herself around and let Max's arms slide around her waist as she let her own arms do the same to the other girl. They locked eyes for a moment and Chloe could easily tell that behind her tough-girl façade, Max was indeed freezing.

"You look like your snot is about to turn into icicles." Chloe quipped.

"And you smell like you smoked." Chloe's face flushed red with guilt as Max caused her own joke to backfire.

"Sorry. I just needed to lay off some stress."

"It's okay. You've made a lot of progress so far. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks."

"But what's going on in that insane ol' brain of yours?" Max tapped a finger lightly on Chloe's temple.

"Nothing. You don't have to worry." Max arched an eyebrow in dispute.

"Chloe, you sound like you don't trust me. You can tell me anything, you know that."

"Yeah, you're right. Sorry…again." Max took her finger and moved over a few strands of Chloe's blue hair that had blown over her eye.

"You sound distressed. We need to talk about it, babe."

"Okay. But uhh, not right now."

"Chloe, please."

"No, it's not that. It's just uhh…" Chloe exhaled another icy breath. "It's hella cold." She nervously chuckled.

"Oh, right." Max chuckled as well.

The two quickly went back inside; Max seemingly more eagerly than Chloe. Once they scampered back into the warmth of Chloe's house, they instinctively sat down on the couch, with Max huddling under some blankets to warm herself up.

" _I'm_ the baby, huh?" Chloe giggled as Max shivered under the sheets.

"Bite me." They sat in silence for a moment before Max initiated the conversation. "So what's up?"

"Huh?" Chloe was puzzled for a second.

"Why were you so stressed, doofus?" Max teased.

"Oh, right. It's uhh…" Suddenly, Chloe had a rather clever idea that had sparked from something she had done with Rachel around the time they first met. "Hold on." Chloe crawled over to a lying position on the couch and rested her head on Max's lap, much to the girl's confusion. "Okay, doc. I'm here for my therapy." Max just giggled but followed along regardless.

"Right, my next patient. Tell me, what seems to be disturbing that beautiful head of yours?"

"Well doc, you see…I have this hella _amazing_ girlfriend, absolutely gorgeous and very smart and funny too." Max stifled laughter as Chloe continued her role-play. "But the thing is, my dickbag step-dad hates her 'cause she hangs out with a friend who _used_ to be a bit evil. She's a good person now."

"I see…go on."

"My mom's okay with this girlfriend but it's just my step-knob that has to ruin everything. I just…I just want her to be loved, you know? She doesn't deserve to be hated to so much, especially from a tool like my step-dad."

"Chloe…I…you know _I_ love you, that's all I need-" Chloe swiftly cut her off purely for the sake of the role-play and to keep things as light-hearted as possible.

"Whoa, doc! You're coming onto me a little hard, don't you think?" Max just facepalmed but laughed.

"Sorry. What I meant was that I'm sure your _girlfriend_ loves you very much and that's all she needs." Max said, getting back into character.

"I know. But I don't want her to get in any shit with him. I'm just scared she might run into him when I'm not there." Max looked at Chloe worryingly, but still maintained her therapist personality.

"Well…I think that you should worry about other stuff besides your 'step-knob'. Your girlfriend; who I'm sure is amazing in every way," They both laughed. "will just ignore him and try her best to avoid him."

The two simply stared at each other with warm smiles across their faces, both glad that they were able to talk like this. Chloe was glad she was able to finally get it all off her chest and she was so grateful to have someone like Max to talk to.

Max bent downwards and pressed her lips against Chloe's softly as the punk's head still rested on her lap.

"Was I a good therapist?" Max asked once their faces parted.

"The best."

* * *

 **A/N: Little bit of a relaxed chapter this time, mostly covering the aftermath of the Rachel/Steph shenanigans as well as some other stuff along the way.**

 **Sorry if this chapter does seem all over the place, but chapter 20 is gonna be quite the blast.**

 **I also have a diary chapter I've written although I feel it's rather short and isn't the best compared to the other diary chapters I've done, but if people wanna see it, I can certainly upload it during the downtime until chapter 20. Be sure to lemme know!**

 **Stay awesome!**


	19. Diary Entry 3

**Chapter 19: Diary Entry 10/23/2013 – 10/24/2013**

I am back, oh beautiful journal.

Many things have happened since I last wrote, so there's my excuse as to why I haven't been keeping up. At this point I think it'd be better to not make any more promises to write more since I know I'm gonna break it down the line. I am good at commitment.

Where to start though? Hmm…

Oh, right! Chloe and I had our one-month anniversary! I've never had an anniversary celebration before, maybe that's because I've never been in a serious relationship. Either way, it was a very special day for both of us, Chloe somehow outdid herself again.

Heheh, only other person to outdo Chloe would be me, you know what I'm saying?

Wow, that girl has influenced me to the point I make euphemisms in my diary writing. There is no escaping her, is there? Eh, who am I to complain?

For my present, Chloe got me this super hella badass messenger bag which I absolutely love to bits. I sometimes get scared to put it in the laundry since I think it's gonna explode or something. Paranoia is fun.

As for me, I got her this silver locket with a picture of the two of us inside; cheesy, I know. I don't know what I was really thinking, I guess it seemed romantic at first. Regardless, Chloe loved it. In fact, she holds that thing like a teddy bear when she sleeps sometimes. I think it's cute.

On the worse side of the spectrum, David Dickwad found out about Chloe and me and he thinks I'm bad news because I hang out with Victoria. Asshole still thinks she's the ruler of the Underworld or something, it's so unfair.

Fortunately, I got a bit of a surprise later that night when Steph showed up. Who's Steph? Only the coolest person I've met for a while. Besides Chloe and Rachel that is. And Kate. And Victoria. Maybe Warren. Okay, I retract my previous statement, I've met some cool folk.

Anyways, she's this total tabletop gaming goddess and she brought her D&D set and you bet your ass we played a sesh. And you can certainly bet your ass my girl Reia made a totally badass return. NBD, kicked some serious dragon ass.

Surprisingly enough, even Victoria ended up joining, albeit only joining initially because of our wine. By the end of it, she was super into the whole thing and now we have a super kickass trio. We're just gonna need a name to match.

To add onto that, Chloe and I woke up the next morning to find out that Rachel and Steph had SLEPT TOGETHER. Like WHAT?

Insane. They had a bit of a fight though, long story. By the end of it, they kissed and made up to each other. Literally. Pretty sure they're a thing now. Not complaining, now we have another couple to hang out with. Yay!

So much stuff in such a short week. All this plus I have a major chemistry test tomorrow. This is the part where I pout.

Fortunately, there's another Firewalk concert coming up apparently, and as strange as it may seem, I'm extremely excited to go. The last one was surprisingly a total blast and it felt great to try something that was the polar opposite of what I actually am. Another thing that Chloe just does to me.

Like I said, no escaping her.

Maybe it's like Stockholm Syndrome, but my captor is super gorgeous and amazing in every way.

Yep, definitely Stockholm Syndrome.

And I don't ever want a cure.

* * *

 **10/24/2013**

Dear diary,

I think Chloe is the most amazing person in the world. She is hella perfect in every way and she is also super gorgeous.

Also, she has really awesome tits.

Signed, Not Chloe.

* * *

 **Max: Chloe…**

 **Chloe: yes dear?**

 **Max: I am going to smack you…with my journal…**

 **Chloe: idk what ur talking about**

 **Max: …**

 **Chloe: heh.**

 **Max: -_-**

 **Chloe: heheh.**

 **Chloe: please still love me**

 **Max: You're lucky cause I wholeheartedly agree with everything you wrote.**

 **Chloe: even the thing about my tits?**

 **Max: Yes, you have very nice tits.**

 **Chloe: hell yeah :D**

 **Max: Omg…did you just…**

 **Chloe: wait**

 **Chloe: NO**

 **Max: YOU USED AN EMOJI AHAHAHAHA**

 **Chloe: NO THIS CANT BE HAPPENING**

 **Chloe: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME WOMAN**

* * *

 **A/N: More journal stuffs, hope you like! :D**

 **Next chapter is gonna be packed, so look forward to some more Firewalk shenanigans including the return of Vinnie and Carson. Been excited to bring these guys back and I'm gonna be putting a lot of heart and effort into this chapter to match it to the level of chapter 10, which was one of my favourite ones to write.**

 **Other than that, stay awesome folks!**


	20. Hollowed, Part 1

**Chapter 20: Hollowed, Part 1**

* * *

 **A/N: Special note from me to my readers at the end.**

* * *

Max's mind was locked onto an aimless daydream as her pencil mindlessly trailed across her page, doodling random drawings of whatever came into her head.

Hamburgers with faces, a stick figure wearing abnormally large shoes, a dapper duck boasting an ostentatious outfit of tuxedo and top hat. This certainly wasn't the first of her notebook's pages that had been misused in such a way, nor would it be her last.

Next to her, Chloe pretended to pay attention to Ms. Grant's lectures as she typically did, acting as if she was jotting down important notes when in reality she was just scribbling nonsense onto her paper.

A faint buzz emitting from Chloe's pocket sparked the punk's attention which caused the girl to immediately dive in to retrieve her phone but in a pseudo-stealthy manner.

With her phone tucked under the desk and out of view of the teacher, Chloe mouthed a curse as she seemingly read a text before returning the device back into her jeans.

She briefly looked at a curious Max who had her eyebrow slightly arched in a confused way, wondering what the matter was.

Instinctively, Chloe tore off a blank sheet of paper and quickly wrote down some words before sliding it over to Max.

 **Slight change of plans. Vinnie's on his way to pick us up RIGHT NOW. We gotta bail.**

Now it was Max's turn to mouth a cuss.

 _Are you cereal?! Shit, we're screwed._

Today had been the highly anticipated day. Firewalk had rolled back into the Oregon area for their fall tour and Max was more than excited to go. The previous time had been a blast and to be able to experience it again, this time without the shyness was an opportunity Max wouldn't dare skip.

Vinnie had agreed to pick up the girls; Rachel and Steph included, around 4 PM to give them enough time to reach the venue with some to spare in the case of traffic.

However, at the moment it was only 1:07 PM, so Max began to panic.

She quickly scribbled her own message on the paper just below Chloe's, an exercise she was far from unfamiliar with.

 **What do we do?!**

Chloe tapped her temple with her pen in thought before her eyes lit up with an idea. She leaned into Max's ear and whispered.

"I'm going to pull of a trick Rachel has done more times than I can count. Follow my lead, I'll carry you through it." Max was now panicking harder. Improvisation wasn't her strong suit, so a wave of anxiety began rushing through her head, wiping away whatever strands of the daydream she had left from just a minute before, duck included.

"Ahem. Chloe, is there something wrong?" Ms. Grant halted her lecture as she caught Chloe just as she finished whispering her message.

 _Shit!_

Max gulped hard and turned to Chloe for guidance, but her girlfriend simply returned with a sly wink.

"There _is_ something wrong, Ms. Grant." Chloe clutched her stomach and grimaced as if she were in pain. "I feel…I feel _really_ sick." Chloe's voice sounded as if she had something wretched building in her stomach that wanted to escape it.

"Oh, is your stomach not well?" Ms. Grant asked with a look of concern. The attention of the class was now on Chloe and Max, and the latter began to tremble nervously.

" _Everything_ is not well, Ms. Grant. My stomach, my head, I feel like shit." It seemed that spending years with Rachel had paid off. Chloe's acting was quite believable and if Max was Ms. Grant, she would have been completely convinced.

"Okay, would you like to maybe see the nurse?" Chloe raised her hand at Ms. Grant's offer.

"No, I think I'd be better if I went home with Max, if that's okay." The brunette jumped at the mention of her name, startled at the sudden upbringing.

"Max? Would you be okay with taking Chloe home?" Now Max had been put on the spot, she had to think quick.

"Oh uhh…of course." Max patted Chloe's back and leaned closer to her ear. "Hey, you're okay, I uhh, I got you."

 _This is playing along, right? I think I'm doing okay._

"Okay, I'll let the main office know, you two are dismissed." Ms. Grant politely gestured the two to the door and Max took that as her cue. With Chloe's head hung and her hand still glued to her stomach with an expression of sheer discomfort, Max guided the limping girl out the door and towards the main lobby.

"Keep this up till we're out of sight." Chloe whispered as they walked down the hall, not leaving character for even a second. She groaned audibly for good measure.

The two walked onto the main campus and Max took the time to assess what had just happened.

 _Did that just happen? I think it happened, did that happen?_

A short walk through the Blackwell grounds and then through the dormitory halls led the girls into Max's room, and once the door was locked and they were both sure that they were alone, Chloe jumped straight back to health and bowed gracefully.

Max simply giggled and applauded the smug Chloe as she stood rather tall with a beaming smile.

"Bravo, a spectacular performance." Max cheered.

"Thank you, thank you." Chloe bowed with each 'thank you' before dropping onto the bed and lying back.

"So, how did I do?" Max asked, cuddling up next to her girlfriend who instinctively wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"Bravissima! Grande lavoro!" Max chuckled at Chloe's rather impressive Italian paired with a kiss to her fingers in an exaggerated flourish. "Ha, you looked so hella freaked out when I started clutching my stomach."

"Oh shut up." Max playfully shoved Chloe on the chest.

"You almost looked like you _actually_ thought I was sick." Chloe tapped Max on the nose with the tip of her finger.

"Come on, I'm not _that_ gullible."

 _Yes I am._

"You totally thought I was actually sick." Chloe teased.

"No I didn't."

"You hella did."

"No, I hella didn't."

"For a little bit."

"Okay fine, I thought you were sick." They both laughed; Chloe at how cute Max's concern was and Max at herself for believing that her girlfriend had actually grown unwell despite the evidence that indicated she wasn't. However, paranoia always lingered in Max's head regardless of circumstance or evidence, so she was far from embarrassed.

"So what now? When do Vinnie and Carson get here?" Max asked.

"Vinnie said in about an hour." Max simply nodded in acknowledgement. "I just realized. You just bailed class with me."

"Well, duh."

"What have I done to you, Maxine Caulfield?" Max gave Chloe another playful push.

"Max, never Maxine." She quipped. "So we have an hour, huh?"

"Yep."

"That's uhh…that's quite a lot of time to kill." Max began tracing little circles into Chloe's chest with her index finger.

"It sure is…" Chloe smirked before closing the minor gap between their lips for a soft kiss, which unfortunately didn't last too long before Chloe pulled back. "Shit, I forgot that we gotta let Rachel and Steph know." Max pouted. "Just give me one second." Chloe sunk her hand into her pocket and retrieved her phone before rapidly pattering her fingers on the keyboard in such a manner that proved she was in a hurry.

Once she hit 'send', she tossed the device carelessly onto the floor and dove right back into Max's lips, crawling on top of her.

The intensity of the kissing escalated and it wasn't long before Chloe hastily threw her shirt off, throwing it behind her.

However, a common curse returned to haunt the two in the form of frantic knocks on Max's door.

 _Oh come on! Cut us a break, PLEASE._

The kissing stopped and Chloe seemed just as annoyed as Max was, but rather than expressing her frustration verbally, she instead tried to salvage whatever was left of the tender moment.

"Someone's knocking." Max breathlessly said.

"I don't know what you're talking about, no one's knocking, sweetie." Chloe said, trying to ignore reality as best she could.

"Chloe." Max gave her girlfriend an assertive eyebrow raise and Chloe's shoulders simply sunk down in irritation.

"God dammit." Chloe whined and crawled off of Max and onto her feet, lazily throwing her top back on just before Max opened the door.

She was rather surprised to see a jumpy Rachel at her doorstep.

"Yeah, I got the message, he's here in an _hour_?" Rachel asked rapidly as if she had downed four cups of coffee.

"Uhh, yeah, why? Wait, how did you get here from class so fast?" Max's face expressed confusion.

"Duh, I skipped class today. Anyways, you need to come with me." Rachel grabbed Max by the wrist eagerly and tugged her out of the room and down the hallway much to the girl's bewilderment.

"Hey, that bitch is stealing my girlfriend!" Chloe joked only to be responded with a Rachel's middle finger over her shoulder, not even looking back.

Judging from the sounds of footsteps behind her, Max just assumed Chloe followed along, and the girls soon ended up in Rachel's room which not to Max's surprise, was occupied by Steph.

 _Well, found the reason why she skipped._

The redhead looked up from her phone for a second to wave to both of them, seemingly not losing focus on whatever game she was playing.

"Do you mind telling me what's going on?" Max asked as she was pulled into Rachel's rather messier looking room.

"Okay, when I heard that we were going to another concert, I just _couldn't_ resist helping you go the extra mile, so…" Rachel snatched a large mall shopping bag from the corner of her room next to the closet and dug in before excitedly pulling out a black tank top with the Firewalk logo decorating its centre.

Max's mouth was left agape as she recalled the time when Rachel had purchased her nearly a hundred dollars worth of punk rock clothing just for the occasion.

She had to admit however, that wearing such rebellious attire made her feel more alive, and she was certainly glad to have had pleased Chloe.

 _If it makes Chloe drool, I'm all for._

Max reached for the bag and peeked inside to see not just a single outfit this time. She was greeted to the sight of a reasonable selection of shirts, tank tops, and pants for her to choose from, so she wasn't left dry on choice.

"How much did all this cost?" Max asked as she held up a rather stylish red and black plaid flannel.

"I don't know, I used my dad's credit card." Rachel pinched her nose and cringed after hearing what she had just said. "I realize now that was probably the most stereotypically 'white-girl' sentence ever formed." Chloe and Max laughed. "Okay, whatever. Take bag. Go dress. Be more punk…and stuff." Rachel shoved the bag into Max's arms and the brunette tried her best to hide her eagerness.

"Ooh, I wanna come!" Chloe hopped up and down on the spot excitedly clapping her hands like a child on Christmas.

"Nuh uh." Max shook her head which immediately halted Chloe's antics, transforming her beaming smile into a disappointed frown.

"Why not?"

"I want it to be surprise." Max smirked.

"Fine. Be quick, please?"

"Words you never want to say to me in bed." Chloe burst out laughing at Max's vulgar joke, and so did Rachel. With her girlfriend in hysterics, Max left the room and skipped down the hall back to her own before dumping the bag's contents onto her bed.

She carefully laid out each piece of clothing out across her bed sheets and put her fingers to her chin in thought as she analyzed her options.

Before her lay the black Firewalk tank top, a grey t-shirt bearing bold and brazen text reading 'BAD B*TCH', the plaid flannel, and a black studded leather jacket cropped up to the stomach.

For her bottoms, she had black leggings, a black mini-skirt, two pairs of tattered jeans; one blue and one black, available for her.

Along with those options, she also had a pair of studded bracelets and a black skull bandana as well, seemingly as optional accessories.

 _Hmm…Okay, getting this out of the way, I can instantly rule out that 'BAD BITCH' t-shirt, no way am I wearing that in public. I can do without the shame, thanks. Not a big leggings fan to be honest, and I'm pretty sure I'm gonna end up stabbing myself in the eye with those bracelets._

Max carefully picked out specific items of clothing and placed them aside before coming to a final pick.

 _Bingo._

She threw off her generic t-shirt and jeans and put on her brand new armour before stepping up to the mirror and not being able to resist the urge to pose in exaggerated fashion.

She stood wearing the studded jacket over the tank top paired with the black tattered jeans, subtly taking inspiration from the outfit Chloe had worn to their anniversary date; one that still remains as one of Max's favourite looks for her.

She looked herself over, actually getting giddy at the sight of 'Max 2.0'. It was almost hard to recognize the reflection as herself.

As much as she hated to be narcissistic, she couldn't help but know that Chloe would adore the new look, so without wasting another beat, she pranced out the door and back to Rachel's room.

Max's fist stopped midway to the door to knock as she took a moment to present herself appropriately.

 _Eh, if you're gonna go rad, go all the way._

She placed a hand on her hip in a sassy manner while slightly leaning off to the side with most of her weight put on her right leg, causing her left leg to slightly bend in a way that displayed the typical 'I don't give a shit' attitude that most punk girls were stereotypically associated with. Finally, she gave her head a subtle tilt backwards and smirked proudly but also boldly to further cement the aforementioned attitude.

When she was satisfied with the finished look, she knocked.

Only split seconds later, and the door swung open revealing an overly-excited Rachel.

"Ready for the mosh pit, shaka brah." Max couldn't resist spitting out such a childish line, but under the circumstances, she found it comedic and appropriate.

The moment Rachel laid eyes on Max, she inhaled a gasp so intense that if it were any harder, all the air from the dormitories would have been sucked into Rachel's lungs, suffocating everyone in it.

Rachel's hand shot up to her mouth and her eyes went wider than an owl's; she seemed on the verge of fainting.

 _Jesus, if Rachel's reaction is this much, I can't imagine what Chloe-_

The sound of a soda can hitting the floor interrupted Max's thoughts as the girl noticed her girlfriend stand motionless with her jaw sunk down and her eyes glued open.

"Holy shit. Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit." It was all Chloe stuttered from her mouth upon laying eyes on Max.

"It's aliiiive! It's aliiiiiive!" Rachel exclaimed, imitating Dr. Frankenstein and acting as if Max was her newest and greatest punk creation. "Chloe, look! Look at what I made! It's amazing!"

Chloe was still trapped in the same position as if she had been turned to stone by Medusa.

"Chloe?" Rachel waved a hand in front of Chloe's face but the punk was completely out of it.

"Holy shit." Another one spilled out from the bluenette's open mouth.

"Do I seriously look _that_ good?" Max somewhat regretted her statement as she sensed a hint of narcissism in her voice.

"Girl, you look like a fucking punk _goddess_! Although, a really tiny part of me was hoping that you'd wear that 'BAD BITCH' shirt." Max rolled her eyes.

"Never in a _million_ years." Rachel pouted as Max shattered her rather miniscule hopes.

Chloe finally stepped forward, still keeping her eyes on Max as they looked her up and down, taking in every inch of her magnificence.

"Hi." Max whispered as Chloe stopped only centimetres from her face.

"Holy shit." Max laughed at Chloe's lack of vocabulary.

"How do I look?"

"Like dinner." Max displayed a puzzled expression at Chloe's odd choice of words.

"Dinner?"

"Yeah, 'cause you look fucking _delicious_ right now." Chloe licked her lips and Max laughed once again.

"Glad you like it."

"Wait." Chloe turned her head to Rachel for a brief moment. "She gets to keep these clothes, right?" Rachel only nodded madly. "You are never wearing _anything_ else, ever again."

"I gotta wash these clothes, you dummy."

"Fuck that, I can get used to the smell."

"Ooh, looking hot, Max." Steph's voice came from behind as the girl had finally left her own realm to join the others.

"Thanks, Steph."

"Shit, I need to get ready, don't I?" Steph looked down and scrunched her nose at the sight of just a t-shirt over her underwear.

"Yes you do. You want me to drive you back to the hotel?" Rachel asked as Steph pulled on her jeans.

"No, I'll be okay." Steph fastened the button and zipped up her pants before pressing her lips against Rachel's for a brief moment.

Chloe and Max both 'aww'd in unison at the touching moment as they witnessed the kindling relationship between their two friends which strongly reminded them of themselves during their first days of being a couple. It was sweet.

"Eat me." Rachel shot back in response to Max and Chloe's reactions.

"I can't, that's Steph's job." Max burst out laughing at Chloe's joke and surprisingly, so did Steph, although she did her best to stifle it.

Rachel stuck out her middle finger to express her distaste, but Chloe stuck out her index and middle finger in a 'V' shape up to her mouth so that her rapidly flapping tongue was between them.

Rachel's jaw collapsed at the sight of Chloe's vulgar gesture, only encouraging the bluenette to laugh harder with a maniacal hint.

"Oh my god, you evil bitch!" Rachel playfully shoved Chloe back as the punk fell back onto the bed in hysterics.

"Okay, I'll see you soon." Steph waved goodbye and left just as Chloe began to calm herself down.

Rachel bolted around to face the grinning Chloe with a look of distaste and anger, but Max knew the girl was laughing underneath her façade.

"I am going to strangle you." Rachel viciously pointed at Chloe before snatching her pillow and smacking the girl across the side of her head. "Okay, shoo. Mama needs to get ready." Rachel scurried the other two girls out of her room and Max obliged without another word while Chloe couldn't resist sending Rachel one last sticking out of her tongue.

* * *

"Chloe, are you ready yet?" Max called into the showers impatiently, tapping her foot.

"Hold on, almost!" Chloe responded, her voice echoing inside the tiled walls from within.

A few moments later, Chloe finally emerged with a look of pride, leaving Max stunned. She almost drooled at the sight.

Chloe stood proudly wearing a denim jacket over a navy blue t-shirt with a white skull on its centre, along with her usual pair of ripped blue jeans that she seemed to wear so frequently.

Finishing off the masterpiece were her battered but stylish combat boots and her signature beanie.

Much to Max's surprise as well, she had a very strong suspicion that Chloe was wearing make-up.

"Wowser…" Max mumbled as her eyes dilated.

"You like?" Chloe slightly outstretched her arms out to the sides to present herself appropriately, smiling and rotating left and right to give Max a clear view.

"Me _love_." Max replied much to Chloe's delight. "Have you always had that jacket?" Max asked as she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend bringing her tightly in.

"Not until yesterday."

"Oh. You know…just a suggestion, no need to _actually_ do it but…could you wear it more often?" Max traced little circles around the left side of the jacket and Chloe chuckled.

"Hmm, I don't know. _Could_ I?" Chloe arched an eyebrow in an exaggerated way.

"Dork." Max playfully shoved the same spot she had been twirling her finger on.

As if by instinct, they both kissed as if no one were around, relishing in the short moment they had right then.

"Hey, Emma and Adèle!" A familar voice came from behind them and the two girls turned to see Rachel standing with her hands on her hips with an impatient look on her face. "You mind saving that for the bedroom?" Rachel chuckled as she tapped on the face of her imaginary wrist watch.

However, Max was beyond shocked to see what she was wearing though.

Rachel had done her hair into a ponytail, and she had thrown a black studded jacket with an assortment of decorations on it over a black shirt with a picture of a guitarist. Her lower half consisted of jean short shorts over a pair of stockings and although to Max the look was completely new, to Chloe it was nostalgically familiar.

"Holy fuck. Doctor Who, we've gone back in time." Chloe quipped at the sight. "How long has it been since you've worn _that_?"

"Two years. Thought I'd bring the outfit back. It's Throwback Thursday, is it not?" Rachel replied smugly, looking over herself with approval.

"It's Friday."

"Pssh, same difference." Moments later, Steph emerged from the corner in her own vibrant set of punk attire.

She wore a black t-shirt over a purple long-sleeve and like Rachel, she wore stockings with a second layer of tattered jean short shorts.

Finally, it wouldn't be Steph without it, as the fire beanie had no intention of leaving her wardrobe as it sat nicely over her red hair as it usually did.

"Oh shit, looking bad _ass_ , Steph!" Chloe ran her eyes over Steph with wide eyes, sending two thumbs up in approval.

"Really? I don't know if I went overboard." Steph asked, checking over her outfit in an uncertain way.

"Steph, you're going to a _mosh pit_. _Nothing_ is overboard. I think what you're wearing is hella casual to the folks there, right Rachel?" Chloe turned her head to face her friend only to see her gulping hard with her eyes glued onto Steph.

"Wow…you look…awesome." Rachel stammered as she inched towards Steph.

"You don't clean up so bad yourself." Steph returned, running her fingers through her hair under her beanie.

Once they had closed the gap between them, the two embraced and kissed right in the middle of the hallway.

"Max, do you remember what Rachel said when _we_ were kissing literally two minutes ago?" Chloe teased, halting the kiss between the other two.

"Hmm, I'm not sure. I can't seem to recall." Max rubbed her chin with her index finger and thumb sarcastically as if she were in deep thought.

"Wasn't it something like, 'you mind...' Damn, I can't remember for the life of me! Gosh darn it!" Chloe shook her head in an exaggerated way to blatantly call out Rachel's unintended hypocrisy as the latter simply stared back with a very unamused expression.

"Funny. Ha ha. I am rolling on the floor in hysterics." Rachel responded in a monotone and sarcastic tone.

"We're the best." Chloe and Max both high-fived in celebration for another successful attempt at annoying Rachel.

* * *

"Rock _on_ , girls! You all look great!" Max found it comforting to see the familiar face of Carson along with hearing his voice calling from the bottom of the campus stairs, leaning on the recognizable old-fashioned SUV owned by Vinnie's dad.

"Thank you, kind sir." Max bowed gracefully, juxtaposing her punk appearance with a sophisticated gesture.

"Glad to see you guys didn't cheap out on wardrobe. Looking awesome and ready as ever." Vinnie handed two thumbs up to all four of the girls.

Max looked around just to be sure, and she internally breathed a sigh of relief when Adrian was nowhere to be found. Even catching a glimpse of his hair would cause Max to stomp away in the opposite direction.

"So you must be Steph." Vinnie held out his hand in front of Steph who amiably shook it.

"That'd be me."

"I'm Vinnie, and that's Carson. We're real happy that you could join us, last time was an absolute killer, you're gonna have some fun tonight." Steph excitedly smiled at the Vinnie's bold promise, getting slightly giddy at not only her first mosh pit, but also her first full-day experience with Rachel.

"What are we standing around here for, we waitin' for a pizza? Hop in!" With that command, the girls poured into the spacious SUV that had more than enough room with its two rows of leather seats that Max found surprisingly comfortable given the vehicle's vintage appearance.

Naturally, Chloe and Max sat next to each other just behind the front seats with Rachel and Steph comfortably behind them.

The SUV rolled away from Blackwell and onto the calm roads of Arcadia Bay, grumbling as it travelled closer to the town centre.

"Okay, let's bury the elephant in the room here." Chloe started. "Care to explain why you had to come so early?"

"Oh, right." Carson set down his soda can in the cupholder. "So umm…we tried to keep this whole thing a secret from Adrian, since we didn't want him to tag along for…obvious reasons." Max scowled at the mentioning of Adrian for a brief moment, almost as if it was an instinct. "But only today, he found out through a buddy of his, and he started wondering if we wanted to go. So, in a desperate attempt to shake him off, we told him we had plans out of town today. We only left so early since we thought it might be suspicious if we left at the _exact_ time of the concert, you know?"

"What if he goes without you?" Chloe asked.

"Not gonna happen. The three of us have promised to _never_ go to mosh pits alone. Always at least with another person. Few years back I went to one by myself and nearly got stabbed by some junkie." Carson explained.

"Damn. That makes sense, then." Chloe nodded in understanding. "How is Adrian, by the way? Still fucked up after his break-up?"

"Worse. I feel like he's just been drinking every other night. I get phone calls at 2 AM with him blabbering on and on about unintelligible bullshit that I think even _he_ doesn't know what he's talking about." Carson had a hint of stress to his voice that was very evident. Max could tell that he was truly worried about his friend, and a small part of herself wanted Adrian to fix himself.

"Sorry to hear that."

"It's fine. I even told Kathy, his ex-girlfriend, about his state."

"What'd she say?"

"She…she was concerned. I doubt she'd be willing to get back together with him, but I could tell she was worried about Adrian."

There was a momentary silence within the cab before Steph spoke up to break it.

"I'm sorry, but who is Adrian?"

"Long-time friend of Vinnie and Carson. Last time, he went full hella creepo mode and tried to corner and grope Max in the parking lot." Chloe's explanation made Max subtly shudder at the recollection. Sure, it hadn't escalated into anything threatening, but the thought of her in a helpless and vulnerable state cornered by a much stronger and larger man terrified her.

"For real? Fucking freak." Steph's face displayed a mix of disgust and hatred towards this man who she hadn't even met. If her and Max had swapped places, she certainly would have had the same reaction.

"He's just changed. So much. I can't even tell if I'm talking to the same guy I met a decade ago when I talk to him. All the time, he just keeps going on about how Max-" Carson harshly nudged Vinnie to interrupt him, who quickly scolded himself for his careless tongue.

 _Wait, Adrian talks about me? All the time? What…what the fuck?!_

"Shit. I uhh…I didn't mean to say that." Vinnie scratched the back of his head nervously.

"He talks about Max? What does he say?" Chloe clenched her fist and her voice became more aggressive and demanding as her body bolted forward in her seat. "What the fuck does he say about Max?!"

"Nothing! Well, not _nothing_ but…Fuck! Carson, you tell them, I gotta focus on the road." Vinnie glanced over to the man across from him to finish explaining.

"Fine. Look, we didn't mention this but…Adrian's…kind of obsessed with you, Max." Max's eyes grew wide and her mouth was left agape at the revelation. She knew Warren had grown rather strong feelings for her, but Adrian was a completely different story. She could tolerate Warren, she even liked him as a friend. Adrian on the other hand, was a creep and total lunatic she didn't even want to look at.

" _Obsessed_ with her? Obsessed as in how, he keeps posters of her in his bedroom wall or some shit?"

"No! Not like that. He just…talks about her a lot."

"Talk about what, though? What's the fucking matter with him?!" Max tried her best to restrain Chloe by pressing her hand against her chest to prevent her from ripping the seatbelt off.

"Max…Max reminds him of Kathy. It's like looking in a mirror with you two. You're both shy, modest, and you both love art and photography. Hell, you even kind of look alike. You wear similar clothes, it's like you're fucking twins and you don't even know it." Carson exhaled a breath before continuing. "He and Kathy were _so_ goddamn happy together. Adrian wanted to get married, but a little before he planned on proposing, Kathy told him how she didn't feel that same connection with him and that she didn't love him anymore."

"Fuck. That…that's hella rough." Chloe had calmed down and had managed to lean back into her seat, running her fingers through her hair under her beanie.

"Yeah. The first week was…he was broken. Shattered like a vase, a million pieces that you just can't put back together, and even if you do, it's not the same. It'll _always_ have those cracks that you can never fix. No matter how hard you try." The cabin of the SUV grew dead silent for a good minute with only the low grumble of the engine and the sound of the tires rolling over the asphalt filling ears. "I'm sorry we kept this from you. Everything with us has just…been so shitty. Vinnie and I just don't know what to fucking do about him."

"Yeah, I get that. Sorry I uhh, went a bit Bruce Banner mode there." Chloe stared downwards and scratched the back of her head.

"It's fine. I think it's sweet that you're protective of Max. Just proves how much you really care about her." As if by instinct, both girls turned and looked deeply into each other's eyes before warmly smiling and pulling closer together in the seat.

"Sorry for bringing all this down on you girls. We didn't invite you to rant about our bro issues, we wanna have fun. Let's just forget about this and enjoy ourselves, yeah?" Vinnie pumped his fist in the air while keeping his other hand firmly gripped on the steering wheel.

The back of the cabin was filled with synchronised 'yeah's and fist pumps as well.

The fun was about to start.

* * *

"Okay, Carson's turn!" Chloe eagerly clapped in anticipation as the SUV rolled down a narrow side road surrounded by thick forests.

"Alright, alright. Okay…two truths and a lie about me…" The blonde tapped his finger against his chin in thought for a few moments before making his choice. "Okay. So, here goes; I used to be a bartender back in Colorado, I do rock climbing in my spare time, and I've been in a movie." Almost immediately, Chloe's head darted behind her to Rachel who simply groaned and rolled her eyes as she knew exactly why.

"Yeah, yeah. Carson, may I see your hands?" Carson, rather confused but not seeing any reason to argue, revealed both his hands behind him and Rachel leaned as far up as she could to get a good look at his rather large fingers and palms. She squinted to analyze the details but couldn't come to a definitive conclusion. "This won't do. Chloe, I need you to feel Carson's hands." Chloe looked back at Rachel with a puzzled expression, but with the full knowledge of Rachel's almost supernatural skill with 'Two Truths and a Lie', she chose not to dispute.

Chloe ran her fingers across Carson's fingers and palm rather awkwardly, not really knowing what she was looking for.

"Rough or smooth?" Rachel asked.

"Pretty smooth." Chloe nodded decisively.

"Then that's easy. You don't rock climb." Rachel comfortably leaned back, certain that her answer was correct.

"Impressive." Carson gave her a thumbs up and Rachel grinned smugly. "How'd you know from my hands?"

"If you were a frequent rock climber as you said you were, your hands would be rough, maybe scarred. Also, you kinda seem like the guy who's scared of heights."

"I am! How'd you know _that_?"

"I honestly don't know. Just a gut feeling." Rachel shrugged.

"Excuse me, can we go back to the fact that he's been in a fucking _movie_?" Steph joined in, prompting a light chuckle from Carson.

"Oh, yeah! What movie? 007? Mission Impossible?" Rachel excitedly asked.

"Whoa, slow down there. If I was on one of those films, we wouldn't have to be riding in this shitbox," Carson quickly turned to Vinnie, who was focusing on the road while still listening in on the conversation around him. "no offense."

"Hey! This machine is a work of art!" Vinnie argued, throwing his right arm up slightly in dispute.

"It broke down twice on a one-hour drive."

"I…I'm still working on it…" Vinnie mumbled, despite knowing it was well and true.

"There was this movie being filmed back when I lived in Colorado, and the crew had decided to use the bar I worked in as the set. Unfortunately for them, the actor they casted to play the bartender got into some car accident or some shit and they were real tight on schedule, so the director just turns and looks at me and says, 'Can you act?'" The girls laughed at Carson's tale. "Anyways, so I say, 'Yeah', 'cause I took a bit of theatre class during college, so he just shoves me this script into my chest and gives me this look as if he expects me to show him some convoluted magic trick or something, and I just look back like, 'what the fuck does this guy want me to do?' We stare at each other for a good few moments before he just yells, 'Go on, read the fucking line!', and I realize there's this highlighted bit of text. So I read it out, he just nods and tells his little set monkey to get me into position and I'm shoved behind the bar and next thing I know, the director's yelling 'action'."

"No shit! What happened next?" Rachel asked, leaning forward in her seat once again.

"That's when my two months of theatre class kicked in. I kinda did my thing, cleaned glasses, wiped the countertop, stuff I do when I'm actually working, then when the time came to say my line…" The girls all leaned forward as Carson left a dramatic pause. "Fucking _nailed_ it." The back of the SUV filled with laughs and cheers as Carson arrogantly took sarcastic bows.

"What movie was it?" Max asked.

"One of those super ambitious indie projects looking to go big. It was called 'Foul Play' or something."

"Ooh. What was it about?"

"One of those buddy cop flicks about two detectives solving some corny murder case. Super cliché."

"We are hella watching that. No 'but's." Chloe demanded.

"Sure. I have the DVD back home. Keep that with me wherever I go so in case anyone doubts me, I can prove it." Carson smugly winked. "Okay, that's enough about my short-lived Hollywood career. Who's next?" Carson looked around the passengers for any willing volunteers.

The cab grew silent as the girls looked at each other back and forth but no one gave in. A few moments into the awkward staring contest, Max felt a light nudge on her arm. She turned to see Chloe devilishly winking, and the girl knew immediately what she was suggesting.

"No, nuh uh." Max shook her head wildly.

"Oh come on, it's not that bad. Please?" It had been quite some time since Max had seen Chloe's infamous puppy dog eyes, and the brunette was rather glad for that fact. It was a face she could never resist and she resented the fact that she always gave into it. This time was no exception.

Max sighed deeply and sunk her head as she scolded herself once more for being persuaded by Chloe's undeniably adorable face.

"Fine." A collection of light cheers filled the SUV.

 _Okay, three things about me, one of which is a lie. Okay, let's think…_

Her mind drew a blank entirely.

 _Uhh…_

Not a single note-worthy fact entered her head.

 _UHH…_

Max began panicking.

 _BRAIN. WORK. PLEASE._

"Max?" Chloe waved her hand in front of the zoned-out girl's face.

"Hold on, I'm thinking." She was certainly thinking. Thinking hard enough to blow her own head off, until she finally thought of what she hoped would be interesting facts about herself. "Okay, I got it."

Chloe clapped eagerly with a wide beaming grin on her face.

"Wait, but I don't think Chloe should be allowed to guess." Chloe's lips pouted and her shoulders sunk. "Sorry, but you know literally _everything_ about me." The punk raised her finger to protest but quickly put it back down when she realized that it was indeed true. She knew everything from her favourite colour to which Lucky Charms marshmallow she liked best.

"Fiiiiiiine." Chloe crossed her arms, frowning deeply.

"Okay, so first off, I was born in Seattle. Second, I favourite food iscaviar, and finally, my favourite sci-fi film is 'Final Fantasy: Spirits Within'." Max leaned back, relatively proud of her choice of facts, but still worrying that she made things too obvious. She would just have to see in a few moments.

As if by instinct, the pack of heads immediately went to Rachel as at this point, as watching the girl's thought process behind her flawless guessing was more interesting than taking wild stabs in the dark themselves. A collective game had become more of a spectator sport.

"Judging by the fact that you're the poster child for hipster culture, I'm gonna say you are without a doubt a Seattle-born." Rachel started.

 _Damn, she's good._

"As much as I hate to admit it, you're right on that one."

"One down! Now, you seem to be drawn to unique artistic approaches. That whole 'CGI character animation' deal in 'Spirits Within', that is something you'd flock to."

 _I swear to dog, this girl can read minds._

"You are magic." Max lightly applauded Rachel as it was now obvious what she believed was the lie.

"Which brings us to the caviar." She started, raising a finger before shaking her head. "Nope, not buying it. Caviar is the _pinnacle_ of pretentious food, and I can't imagine you stuffing a spoonful of that weird fish shit into your mouth on a Sunday."

"Bravo, Rachel. You absolutely nailed it."

"Wouldn't be an Amber if I couldn't read people like an open book." The girl winked before flipping her hair gently to the side with a cocky expression.

* * *

The SUV rolled onto a parking lot and came to a stop neatly on a vacant spot between two sedans. Vinnie shut the engine down before turning his head back to the passengers with a grin.

"Alright, we're here."

"Where's ' _here_ '?" Rachel asked, looking out the window.

"This pier is close to the venue, we got…" Vinnie quickly looked at his watch. "…about three hours to kill so, might as well, eh?"

The group left the vehicle and Max quickly took in the familiar smell of the ocean close by, the waves calmly washing over the sandy beach a few feet below down a steep rocky hill.

The scenery was truly gorgeous, and Max searched on beyond the horizon to the seemingly infinite blanket of blue, beckoning her for a photo.

She dug into her messenger bag until she felt the familiar feeling of plastic before retrieving her trusty instant camera, the very one that once belonged to Chloe's father. She lined the shot and framed it in her ideal way, and once she positioned herself perfectly, she hit the button, heard the click, and gently pinched her newest photo before shaking it between her fingers.

 _Perfect._

The ocean scenery had established the perfect backdrop of mesmerizingly deep blue, with the lighter shade of the afternoon sky acting as a split between the two almost realm-like sections of colour.

Right in the centre was her subject; the backside of a denim jacket leading up to a vibrant head of cobalt peeking underneath a navy-blue beanie.

The subject for so many of her photos, almost a metaphor for her current life. Almost every picture she took, every image she captured was one of Chloe. No one else could be framed in Max's eye better, not even close.

It was an overwhelming, but enthralling canvas of various shades of blue; the waves, the sky, Chloe's jacket and hair, it all pieced itself together to form one massive collage of blue. It was hard to believe such a lack of varied colour could create such a gorgeous picture, and without a doubt, this one had quickly become one of Max's favourites.

Chloe had noticed the click and whir of the camera and had turned to see Max admiring her new piece, so naturally, the punk carefully approached her girlfriend before yanking the picture from her grasp and looking at it herself.

"Holy shit!" Chloe's eyes dilated and her jaw fell to the floor once she had caught her first glimpse at the photo. The group darted their heads to the suddenly shocked-looking Chloe.

"What's going on?" Carson asked, approaching Chloe to see what had happened.

Without a word, Chloe almost reluctantly handed the picture to Carson, as if she had instantly grown to cherish and protect it like a child. The moment the man had laid his eyes on what had caused such a stir however, his reaction was identical to Chloe's.

"No fucking way! Max, did you take this?" Max's cheeks flushed with pink as she looked down at the floor while scratching her head, nervously chuckling.

"Yeah…"

"This looks so good!" Carson began handing the photo around the group, each of them reacting more or less the same as the first two people.

The Polaroid eventually made its way back into the hands of an impatient Chloe who only wanted to soak in the image even more.

"How did you even get that to be so…perfect?" Vinnie asked, truly baffled after seeing the sheer talent Max had.

"I…I really don't know. I guess the right pictures just fall into place and my eye just catches them naturally."

"Well you have a really good eye. That's the best photo I've ever seen, and my brother does shots of models!" The group laughed and Max thanked Vinnie for the heartwarming compliment. It always helped with her shaky confidence to know that there were at least a few people who admired her work.

The group, minus Max and Chloe, began making their way down the boardwalk of the pier where many visitors were bustling up and down the wooden platform, entering and exiting the many shops that lined it.

Max noticed that Chloe was still staring deeply into the picture with wide smile on her face, and seeing that she had made her girlfriend happy always made her smile as well.

The brunette walked up and wrapped her arms around Chloe's waist from behind, pecking a light kiss on the back of her neck.

"You like?" Max repeated the same simple question that Chloe had asked earlier that afternoon back at the dormitories, bringing a pang of déjà vu.

"Me _love_."

* * *

"Ahh, smell that fresh, punk air." Chloe placed her hands firmly on her hips and inhaled audibly through her nose as she exited the SUV.

"Smells like cigarettes and booze." Steph said, scrunching her nose at the foul odour.

"My kind of smell." Chloe beamed.

Being a Firewalk concert, the venue for the night was a massive, seemingly abandoned warehouse, much larger than the sawmill from the previous time. Metal sheets, rusty pipes, and derelict cars were scattered across the exterior area of the building, and despite being a few hours early, a rather large group of people had already gathered near and around the entrance.

In the corner of the lot were even more ancient battered cars along with piles of junk and other neglected items, and the sight reminded Max of American Rust back in Arcadia Bay. She felt a sense of home in the unfamiliar location.

Max couldn't help but smile as she watched Chloe twirl around excitedly with her arms outstretched to her side before catching a glimpse of her staring girlfriend.

Chloe skipped towards her wrapped an arm around her shoulder and squeezed her tightly.

"You seem to be in a cheery mood." Max said as the two began walking towards the warehouse entrance.

"Hell yeah I am! This is fucking _Firewalk_! Are you not excited?"

"Of course I'm pumped. I really enjoyed last time, as odd as that may sound."

"Wasn't much more than a month ago you were that shy newbie gawking at me in Ms. Grant's class." Max playfully shoved Chloe's shoulder.

"You were totally into me too, don't make it sound like I was the only one."

"Yeah, but I was hella sneaky about it." Chloe winked.

"Pssh, _'sneaky_ '." Max made air quotes and emphasized the last word.

"What?"

"You were not sneaky."

"I hella was! You had no clue I was into you."

"Well that's 'cause I was doubting the fact that someone as hot as you would be into _me_." Chloe chuckled at the casual compliment.

"That makes the two of us." Chloe gently tapped Max's nose with the tip of her index finger, a gesture Max always giggled at whenever the punk did it.

The group all filed into the line that had formed at the doorway guarded by a burly tattooed bouncer who was individually examining pieces of identification.

"So are we just gonna pull off what we did last time and _sneak_ our way into the place?" Max asked, somewhat jokingly with a hint of seriousness.

"No need. So long as we can prove we're 18 we're allowed in. It's an underground band, only those who catch a rumour a concert is happening go." Chloe answered.

The line slowly but surely shrunk in size until it had reached the gang. One by one, the group showed their identification and entered without trouble, and Max felt rather grown up knowing that she had been granted entry to such an exclusive event. It made her slightly giddy.

 _Reminds me of Liam Pittman's sweet sixteen back in Seattle. Except I wasn't allowed in that time. Who's the cool kid now, Liam?_

Max eagerly walked through the doorway and couldn't help but gasp at the scene before her.

What she had assumed was a multi-room venue was in fact just one massive area that merged all the essentials of a punk concert. The stage was massive and it was surprisingly clean at the opposite end of the entrance with the drum kit and amplifiers already prepared for the band for later on. The bar was close to the centre of the room, with this one being much more elegant and organized than the one at the sawmill. It was almost circular with shelving in the middle behind the counter and two punk-dressed bartenders already serving drinks to the few patrons that sat on the stools surrounding the whole bar. Glasses hung from a rack above and countless bottles of various shapes and sized lined the shelves.

One aspect that hadn't changed compared to the sawmill were the decorations. Graffiti and posters of a similar provocative attitude painted the walls, forming into large collages of punk art on certain sections.

In the left corner of the warehouse, a VIP lounge had been set up with sofas and tables, nowhere close to the quality of legitimate nightclubs, but still respectable for the event's stature.

Naturally, the lights were dim with mood lighting tinting the environment with a lush purple.

Max stood before it all in sheer awe. It was all new to her, and the fear of inexperience that she had managed to shake off had returned once again despite her previous mosh pit. This one was on a whole new level, one that Max was almost intimidated by, but also excited to experience. It felt familiar, yet fresh.

 _Wowser. This place…is kinda awesome._

It baffled Max to think that Chloe and Rachel had been to places like this before, but it didn't mean that she found it hard to imagine them in one. Like before, they fit in naturally like the warehouse was their habitat.

"Fuck yeah, this place _rocks_!" Chloe shouted with a thrilled, yet mischievous smile across her face.

As Max struggled to focus her eyes on a single part of the place, she felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see Steph, looking rather nervous.

"Was it this crazy last time?" Max shook her head.

"Nowhere _near_. It was a sawmill. Compared to here, that place is a port-a-potty." Steph was clenching her teeth, almost trembling. While Max nearly felt intimidated by the daunting walls of the warehouse, Steph seemed terrified. "You okay?"

"Uhh, yeah. Just…just a lot to take in."

"You're worried about Rachel, aren't you?"

"Sort of. I mean, she was practically born in a mosh pit, how do I fit into something like that?"

"Trust me, Steph, I had the exact same feeling when I went with Chloe last time. You think it'd be best to try your hardest to fit in? Trust me, bad idea. You just gotta…be yourself, but not…yourself." Max scrunched her nose once she realized that what she said made no sense.

 _Wow, you're sooo great at this Max. 'Be yourself but not be yourself'? How does that make_ any _sense?_

"That…makes sense." Steph lightly raised an eyebrow as she agreed with Max.

 _Oh, it makes perfect sense, apparently._

"Rachel doesn't care if you can thrash or not. She's just glad she's with you." Max continued.

"Yeah. You're right, maybe I shouldn't worry too much about this. Thanks, Max." Steph smiled before running off to join her girlfriend who had already found a seat at the bar with Chloe and the others. Seeing as she was the only one not on a barstool, she didn't hesitate to join.

"…and I was minding my own business when this skinny dude in a hoodie just shoves me for no reason!" Carson was apparently telling some story to the group just as Max arrived, so curious to see what was going on, she found her seat next to Chloe and started listening. "Fucker starts demanding me to give him my wallet while waving this cheap flip knife around like a lunatic."

 _Oh, this must be when Carson almost got stabbed. Ouch…_

"Did you give it to him? Your wallet, I mean." Rachel asked, leaning forward on the counter.

"Hell no! My picture of Scruffy was in there!" Rachel raised a puzzled eyebrow at the word 'Scruffy'.

"Scruffy?"

"My dog."

"Ohh…"

"Okay, so anyways," Carson continued, avoiding digression. "I tell him to back off before I kick his ass. So without saying anything else, he grabs me by my wrist and almost lunges into stab me."

"Fuck! What'd you do?" Rachel asked, covering her mouth with her hands in momentary fear.

"I kneed him in the groin and knocked the knife out of his hand."

"Wow. That…" Rachel looked over to Chloe. "…sounds familiar." Both girls gave each other smirks much to the confusion of everyone around them.

"Why? What happened with you?" Carson asked.

"Funnily enough, I met Chloe when she almost got stabbed by some dickheads at a concert." Rachel explained.

"No shit! I wanna hear this." Carson leaned forward, taking a quick swig of his beer.

"Well…" Chloe started as she elected herself to be the one to tell the tale. "I already sorta knew who Rachel was from school, but let's be honest, who _didn't_ know Rachel fucking Amber? Anyways, I heard about this Firewalk concert when I was sixteen, which was coincidentally at the same sawmill from a month ago. When I was there, I sorta ran into some skeevy douchebags, didn't think much of it first, just spilled one of their beers on accident. Anyways, I managed to score this awesome vantage above the mosh pit itself all by myself which didn't last long, 'cause cue the skeevy assholes. Guy breaks a bottle and grabs me by the wrist and I swear I see my life flashing before my eyes until I hear this voice yell 'hey, dickhead!'. Low and behold, 'twas Rachel who had just magically shown up to save my ass." Rachel grinned widely as she felt her heroics come back to her after the two years.

"Damn, Super Rach. What happened next?" Vinnie asked.

"We had the greatest night of our sixteen-year-old lives." Chloe finished.

"Except I was still fifteen back then." Rachel raised her hand and corrected the negligible error.

"Whatevs, same difference."

"That's a hell of a way to meet." Vinnie said.

"Oh boy, wait till you hear about the days that followed."

"Why, what happened?" Chloe and Rachel both looked at each other and chuckled whilst shaking their heads.

"That's a story for another time." There was a momentary silence as the group, with the exception of Max and Vinnie, took sips from their beers, Steph stealing a quick swig from Rachel's bottle.

"So how did you and Carson meet?" Rachel asked Vinnie as she set down her bottle.

"Oh. Well uhh…" The tattooed man looked at his blonde friend and shrugged, and the latter gestured in a way that suggested his friend to tell the story. "So basically, when I was eleven, I lived near this forest where I'd go play and shit, typical stuff pre-pubescent kids do. Anyways, I was pretty much a loner in elementary which is why I just spent most of my time messing around in that forest, can't really remember what exactly I did though. Unfortunately, I was doing my usual shit one afternoon when it started to rain, and it was _pouring_. So I started heading back when all of a sudden I slipped on some mud and slid down this hill that led into a stream. Bad part about this was…I couldn't swim. Lucky for me, Carson was actually running through the forest as a shortcut to get back to his own place, so when he heard some kid screaming his lungs out, he went down to investigate, and voila! Drowning eleven-year-old! Even better, he knew how to swim so he managed to drag me out, and we became best friends since." Now it was Carson's turn to grin from his heroics. "Get that smug look off your face, you ass." Vinnie playfully punched his friend's shoulder, causing him to nearly drop his beer.

"Little while later we met Adrian when he got transferred to our elementary school." Carson said.

The gang took a short break from speaking to take a few sips of their beverages. Max, feeling left out, opted to order an iced tea for herself.

"You know, seeing you here, wearing those clothes…you're really just candy to my eyes, Max." Chloe remarked softly as to make sure only Max heard.

"Look who's talking, Miss Punk America." Max lightly tugged on Chloe's denim jacket. The two stared into each other's eyes for a brief moment, subtly closing the short gap between their faces as the seconds passed.

"Hey." Chloe's voice was a gentle whisper. "Thank you."

"For what?" Max kept her voice soft as well.

"For coming here with me. I just feel…lucky, you know?"

"Of course, Chlo. I'm glad I came." Max gently cupped Chloe's cheek and slowly grazed her thumb across the punk's soft, porcelain skin.

"And I'm glad I have you."

* * *

Two hours had rapidly soared by as the group chatted away the time until the concert so much that they hadn't realized that the band was late. It gave them time to converse a lot more though, and that was one thing Max couldn't dare complain about. Gaining more confidence when socializing was something she had desired for a long time, and with Chloe and the others, it felt almost natural to talk to friends.

Eventually, the band made its way onto the stage frantically, murmuring apologies for the late arrival and blaming traffic and bad weather.

Excitedly, the group made their way to the swarms of other moshers crowding and pushing against each other to get as close to the band as possible down to the tiniest margin.

A singular but loud electric guitar riff blared through the amplifiers and the crowd unleashed a deafening cheer as the music began flooding in. Max recognized the song from the last concert so just to fit in, she joined the crowd and let out shyer whoops of her own.

The drums and bass joined in, and the band started to thrash their heads, as did the ocean of concert-goers as they expertly played their respective instruments with a wild flourish.

Max noticed the crowd jumping up and down, and she also realized that the smoke and vibrant flashing lights illuminated the dimly lit space with a neon contrast that popped to her eye. She carefully backed away and retrieved her camera, unknowingly sticking her tongue out with one eye closed as she aimed the camera to hold the perfect image. The noise and vibrating floor made it difficult to hold good shot, but Max was desperate to capture a unique scene like this. Even if she would attend plenty more concerts in the future with Chloe, this photo would be her first.

For countless seconds, Max adjusted the picture in her lens ever so slightly, gripping the plastic tightly as to not capture a shaky photo. Being an instant camera, she preferred not to waste the expensive film.

Then…

 _Click._

The Polaroid whirred out and Max shook her newly acquired piece and gently placed it into its new home in her khaki messenger bag for viewing later.

Proud and delighted to have erased the pressure on her chest that had forced her for a photo, she let loose and rejoined the crowd, wrapping her arm around Chloe's waist and throwing her free arm up in the air, jumping up and down to the sound of the music.

* * *

"Alright, folks! Y'all have been totally awesome tonight, thank you all for coming!" The noise from the crowd was a mix of cheers and begs for encores as the band waved while leaving the stage.

Max's heart still pumped rapidly and she held a hand to her chest and panted trying to calm it down.

"Whoo! I fucking _love_ that short period of time after a concert! That rush!" Rachel hopped and skipped around, twirling in circles with her arms outstretched and her head up towards the ceiling with a beaming smile on her face.

"Steph, I think you need to calm your girlfriend down." Chloe joked, only prompting an eye roll from the nerdy girl.

Rather than shrugging her statement off as a joke, Steph grabbed Rachel by the cheeks and mashed her lips onto the blonde's, causing her to completely halt her antics and melt in place.

"I'm cool, all good." The group laughed as Rachel returned back to normal.

"So what kind of chaotic mischief are we gonna get ourselves into now?" Carson asked as the group all began walking towards the entrance.

"I wanna get drunk!" Rachel exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air.

"Jesus, you sound like my uncle." Vinnie remarked, chuckling.

"I think I saw a bar back at the pier, we could try there." Carson suggested with the rest all nodding in agreement.

They all laughed their way to the door, sharing jokes and still relishing the hour of blasting music and head-banging. Max still felt the vibrations and the adrenaline throughout her system, finding it hard to shake but leaving a sense of lingering ecstasy that was reluctant to leave.

Carson was the first out the door, walking backwards as he praised the band's masterful and entertaining tracks until his sentence was cut short by a fist that crashed right into the side of his face, knocking him by surprise and causing him to topple back onto the ground.

The sudden attack took the group by surprise and Max's instincts caused her to dart her head towards the source of the assault, but she gasped and brought a hand to her mouth and began to tremble in fear but with a hint of fury when she saw a familiar face.

Adrian.

He looked much different from when Max last saw him. He was messier, with his beard unshaved and beginning to grow wildly without care, while his previously short hair had been left unkept as it began to grow into mullet.

Adrian shook his hand in pain as he recovered from the blow he had struck, but he was shoved harshly by an angered Vinnie who was just as shocked as the others to see him.

The crowd around them had noticed the scene and it wasn't long before the three men had become the centre of attention, with some onlookers gasping with stunned looks on their faces while others cheered on for a fight.

"Adrian?! What the fuck?!" Vinnie shouted, clenching his fists and seeming on alert in case his friend dished out another attack.

"'Visiting family', huh? Didn't know you were _family_ with a bunch of hot-headed losers." Adrian firmly took his stance as he shook off Vinnie's pushes, shoving his tattooed friend back.

"Look, it's not what you think." Vinnie started. Max sensed a fire burning in his eyes, but it was contained by the man's urge to keep peace.

"Then what the fuck is it?! You blow me off for these scumbags, especially for that _bitch_?!" Adrian pointed straight to Chloe, and the punk immediately took action and stomped forward to assist Vinnie.

"The _fuck_ did you just say to me?!" Chloe grabbed Adrian by the collar with her right hand, bringing up a fist with her other.

"Fuck off, whore!" In a split second, Adrian swung a fist that slammed into Chloe's cheek, sending her back with a grunt of pain onto the ground.

"Chloe!" Max rushed to her girlfriend's aid and helped her back up, now angrier than ever at Adrian. "Don't fucking touch her!" Max shrieked, stepping up to defend the bluenette.

"Oh, of course _you're_ here. You know, I thought you were cool, but I call and apologize and all you do is blow me off? Fuck you, bitch." Adrian spat, but it didn't offend Max at all.

Before Adrian could continue his misogynistic rant, a fist collided into his nose, causing him to stumble back but maintain his balance.

Carson had picked himself up and he had his fists up, willing to fight one of his best friends if he had to.

Adrian pinched his nose and grimaced in pain as he noticed the small smatter of blood coming from his nose.

"You…fucking prick!" Adrian pounced up, taking a rage-induced swing at Carson's head, but the blonde quickly ducked out of the way and capitalized on his friend's mistake by tackling him onto the ground. "Get the fuck off me!"

Grunts and furious screams released from both men as Carson threw punches at Adrian's face while the latter tried to force the blonde off by grabbing his shirt collar and shoving his face away.

"Carson, stop!" Vinnie pulled his friend off by the waist and much to his surprise, he found a lack of resistance as he forced him away.

"Yeah, that's right! Back away you fucking pussy!" Adrian shouted as he picked himself up, dusting off his pants and coat.

"What the _fuck_ is wrong with you?!" Carson stepped forward, screaming into his friend's face.

"What's wrong with _me_?! I'm not the one who lied to you to go see this bullshit concert with a bunch of asshats!"

"Back up, Adrian. I don't wanna have to hurt you man. "Vinnie held his hands up in front of him, holding a calm voice to maybe bring Adrian's temper down.

"Go ahead. You've always been a loud-mouthed shithead." Adrian brought his face directly in front of Vinnie's, pressuring him to break his struggle to not lose his cool.

"I don't know what happened to you, man. Can you even realize what you've just done?" Vinnie gestured to the scene around him; Carson with his fists clenched and his nose stained with blood, Chloe with an inferno raging in her eyes only being held back by Max, and dozens of onlookers staring in shock. Adrian looked around him, and Max noticed his fists loosen slowly as he began to realize the damage he had caused. "I get it. You miss Kathy. I'm sorry about what happened with her, but _this_? This is not okay."

"You knew _exactly_ what was going to happen after Kathy dumped me. You both _knew_ I would change, yet you still stuck with me for some goddamn reason." A single tear began streaming down Adrian's face as he began slowly backing away. "You both knew. Now look at me. Look at all this shit that _I_ caused. I'm the shell of a man. Underneath this skin, I'm fucking _hollow_. Kathy was the only good thing in my life and she's fucking gone." Adrian's voice trembled as he forced a broken smile to creep onto his lips. "I'm nothing now. My life…it's fucking done."

"Adrian…we're best friends, remember that. We'll get you through this, I promise you-"

"IT'S TOO FUCKING LATE!" Adrian's shattered roars boomed throughout the open space and immediately caused the surrounding crowd to jump. "I tried…I tried to salvage whatever this…pile of shit I call a life now…and I failed. I'm a fuck up. Always have been. Look at what I did to Max." His eyes went to Max's and locked her in a piercing gaze, flushed with regret and agony. "I'm sorry. I thought that…if I couldn't have Kathy, I could have someone like her. You remind me of her _so_ much. It's like…every time I look at you I see _her_. I'm sorry." For the first time since the incident, Max felt sorry for Adrian. In fact, she almost felt guilty for antagonizing him so much. He was indeed a broken shell of a man, a shattered vase impossible to piece back together.

Max realized he was no longer a man desperate for her attention.

He was a man desperate for help.

* * *

 **A/N: Happy holidays, you guys!**

 **Hope you all had a merry Christmas and also hope you enjoy this chapter too. Put a lot of work into this one to make it one of the best so I hope I didn't disappoint.**

 **Now, some real talk here.**

 **I need to take most of this A/N to truly thank each and every one of you who have even clicked on this fic. The tremendous support and kind reviews that you guys have left for me truly warms my heart and I'm just baffled that I've received any recognition at all. Every single one of you who have even taken the time to just read a single word from this fic earns my gratitude, and to those who have been following along throughout every chapter, I will be forever grateful and humbled by your support.**

 **I can't wait to bring you guys more chapters as I still have plenty of ideas in my head and I look forward to you guys reading them.**

 **Thank you all so much. You guys are absolutely amazing.**

 **Stay awesome.**


	21. Hollowed, Part 2

**Chapter 21: Hollowed, Part 2**

"You okay?" Max asked concerningly, handing Chloe a bag of ice to hold up to her bruised cheek.

"Yeah, thanks." Chloe pressed the bag against her cheek with her head hung low as she sat slumped on the side of the motel bed.

"I'm…I'm sorry." Max apologized, not completely knowing what for though, it was more of an instinct. She sat down next to Chloe, snuggling her head on her girlfriend's shoulder.

"For what? You didn't do anything wrong."

"I…I don't know. I just feel awful that you got hurt." Max placed a hand on Chloe's lap and ran it up and down slowly.

"Don't feel bad, feel pissed at that bastard Adrian." Max felt Chloe's leg tense up.

"I guess, but…do you think we should kinda feel sorry for him?" Max nervously asked, prompting an eyebrow raise from Chloe.

"Why? Max, did you forget what he tried to do to you? The dude beat up his own best friends, that's like next level fucked up! Oh, and of course I can't forget." Chloe pointed to her cheek.

"Yeah, I know, and I totally agree with you but…the guy's just in a bad state. He sounds desperate."

"Fuck that. To me that's hardly an excuse."

"Come on, Chloe, the guy's been through a lot recently-"

"No, _I've_ been through a lot, Max. Not him! He has _no_ right to touch you like that, or insult you like the way he did!" Chloe's voice began to tremble as her sentence progressed, and tears began forming in the corners of her eyes. Max tried to hug her girlfriend tightly but the bluenette leapt up to her feet angrily, tossing the bag of ice onto the floor and crossed her arms with her back turned to Max.

"Chloe. Something else is bothering you, something that _isn't_ what Adrian did, I can tell. You have to talk to me, babe." Max was left in silence for a few moments as Chloe stood still.

"Back at the warehouse…Adrian said he called you and apologized. When was this?" Chloe's question took Max by surprise, but regardless, she quickly recalled the brief chat with Adrian.

"I don't know, maybe a week?" Max replied, scratching the back of her head.

"And you never told me?"

"I didn't think it was that important."

"Not that important?" Chloe spun around and looked Max directly in the eye. "Max, this fucker cornered and tried to kiss you, you don't think that's important to me? Do you have any idea how much I hated myself for not being there sooner?"

"But you showed up when-"

"Max, no! You never would have had to deal with that in the first place if I just went with you." Max's vision began to blur until she realized that small tears were beginning to form in her own eyes. "I don't want anything bad to happen to you. I could never forgive myself if something did."

"I know. I'm sorry, I should have told you." Now Max's voice was shaky as well. She wiped her eyes and looked back up to see Chloe now standing right in front of her with her eyes staring down deeply.

"Max, I love you more than anything." Chloe grabbed Max by the shoulders. "I don't ever want to lose you, okay? I get that I sound dramatic but…after my dad died, I realized that anything you love can be taken away in a heartbeat. I _can't_ lose you." Max didn't know how to respond, so she instead brought Chloe in tightly for a hug as she silently wept into her chest.

"I'm sorry…" The brunette muttered through sobs.

"It's okay. I'm sorry I got angry." They both cried into each other in the middle of their motel room, sniffling and wiping their tears as minutes passed. This was far from the ideal end to her night, by now she thought she would be chatting with her friends at the bar in town, laughing away at the light-hearted jokes and sipping away at a refreshing beverage.

Unfortunately, the unexpected appearance of Adrian had flipped everything around. Once he had calmed from his breakdown, the gang brought the sobbing man to a motel in town where they quietly checked themselves into three separate rooms, one for Rachel and Steph, one for Chloe and Max, and the last one for the three boys. It was assumed by the group that they would be spending the night here and Max was fine with it, and she was certain Chloe was as well.

Max wondered how Adrian was holding up. She felt like forgiving him for what he had done to her would be the right thing to do, but when she considered everything else; like intentionally hitting his friends, insulting them, and most importantly, hitting Chloe, she found it more difficult.

She felt curious as to how he was doing. Would it be safe to visit him? His room was only just down the hall, two doors down. She knew how Chloe would react, and given how she wanted to avoid another argument directly after leaving one, she opted to just bury her temptations away.

It was better to do so.

* * *

It had been quite some time since Max had trouble sleeping. Whenever she had Chloe laying next to her, she fell asleep immediately, but tonight was different.

Maybe it was the unfamiliar bed, or the lingering thoughts of the events that had occurred only a few hours ago. Maybe it was both.

The last time she had trouble drifting off, she encountered a sobbing Victoria outside on a cold campus bench. She still remembered that event vividly even after nearly a month.

Max shook away everything in her head, clearing away the cluster of memories and thoughts.

She cautiously slipped way from Chloe's grasp and lazily threw on her jeans and t-shirt, finishing it off with Chloe's denim jacket.

She silently left the room, instantly being hit by a rush of chilly late-October wind when she stepped outside onto the second floor balcony of the motel.

She slowly pressed the door shut, avoiding any noise and once she was satisfied and certain she was alone, she huddled herself in her arms and shivered, releasing a cold breath visible as it drifted up into the night sky.

When she looked to her left however, a sudden jolt of shock rushed through her body when she noticed the faint, but recognizable silhouette of Adrian leaning over the balcony railing with a cigarette between his fingers.

 _Shit. This is awkward._

Luckily, Adrian hadn't noticed her and he proceeded to take a long drag from his cigarette.

 _He hasn't seen me. I could turn back…or maybe speak up._

She regretted her decision of coming outside and turned around to face the door again, deciding to just return to bed and hopefully fall asleep.

"Oh, Max." Adrian's voice from behind sent made Max jump. She slowly turned to face the man.

"Hey." She only muttered a greeting shyly, keeping her head to the floor.

"Can't sleep?" He asked.

"Yeah." A silence crept its way over them momentarily, sending a light wave of panic through Max as she didn't know what to do.

"You know, Kathy loved nights like this. I don't know why. I guess she just liked the cold." Max remained silent, still confused in her situation. "I think you two would get along well." He nodded to himself.

"I…I heard she likes photography." Adrian looked surprised to hear that Max knew that about his ex.

"How do you know that?"

"Carson told me. He and Vinnie told me a lot of things."

"Oh." Max was reluctant to approach him as she was still standing by the door to her room. "Max." Adrian's voice broke her train of thought.

"Yeah?"

"I…I'm _really_ sorry. About everything. About what happened at the sawmill, about saying those things about you, about being a total asshole. Everything. You have to understand that…Kathy was the only thing in my life that kept me going. My dad was extremely ill, and his medical bills drilled a hole in my pocket too big for me or for Vinnie and Carson. I had no job, I was about to get evicted since I was drowning in debt from trying to pay for my dad's treatment. I hope you understand what all that does to a guy." Max nodded in response. "I get it. I can tell by the way you're nodding and by how you still haven't come stand next to me that you still don't trust me."

"No, that's not-"

"It's okay Max. If I were you, I'd do the same." Adrian took a drag from his cigarette and puffed. "I've done some terrible shit. Even more than what you've seen. I don't expect you to forgive me for any of it. But I just hope that you know I regret _everything_. Do you know that?"

"Yeah. I know." Max gently nodded.

"Thank you." Adrian looked out over the railing up into the dark sky. "By the way, is uhh…is Chloe okay? I feel awful after…you know…" He looked down to the parking lot below, keeping his eyes away from Max.

"A bit bruised," Chloe's voice made Max jump and she immediately turned around to see her girlfriend in her t-shirt and jeans standing at the open door of their room. "definitely gonna leave a mark for a while but otherwise I'm good."

"Chloe, I-" Max stuttered before Chloe cut her off.

"Shh, it's okay, babe." Chloe brought her index finger to Max's lip and smiled, assuring her that she wasn't mad. Even amidst the darkness Chloe's smile still shone brightly.

"Chloe. I uhh…" Adrian stuttered before gaining his composure. "Listen, I'm _so_ sorry about-"

"I know. I heard everything through the door." Chloe raised her hand to save Adrian from wasting his breath. "I'm sorry about your dad. Is he okay now?" Adrian just shook his head.

"Tumor killed him a month ago." He sighed, letting a visible puff of chilly air to leave his mouth.

"Sorry to hear that. My dad died when I was fourteen, I totally get it." Max was surprised to see Chloe open up about her father to someone like Adrian. She was typically hesitant to bring it up to anyone, and to see her seem so open about it to a once-was enemy like Adrian shocked Max.

"Oh. Cancer as well?"

"No. Car accident."

"Shit. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I guess I've moved past it now." Silence reappeared as Adrian took the last drags out of his cigarette before stomping it out on the floor.

"I should go." He approached the two girls. "Thank you. I…I really didn't expect you both to be so understanding."

"We're all human. We have flaws." Chloe said. Without another word, Adrian nodded and smiled before returning to his room, leaving Chloe and Max alone.

Chloe stepped forward and leaned over the railing just as Adrian did, and it was only then Max had realized she was only wearing a t-shirt and jeans.

"You must be freezing, let's go inside." Max suggested.

"No, it's okay. I kinda wanna be out here for a bit."

"Do you want your jacket back?"

"I'm fine." Chloe stopped Max before she could pull off the denim coat. "Plus, you look really good in my clothes." Max smiled.

The brunette joined her girlfriend and stood next to her, leaning her head against the punk's shoulder and wrapping an arm around her waist.

"You're not mad at me, are you?" Max asked, making sure she hadn't mistaken Chloe's expressions.

"What? Or course not, why would I be mad?" Chloe gently kissed the top of Max's head.

"I thought you might be when you saw me talking to Adrian." Chloe chuckled.

"Max, I'm not some evil mom who's gonna force you to stay away from other people."

"No, not like that, it's just…I don't really know. I guess I'm just paranoid, sorry."

"It's okay. I think it's cute." Max felt Chloe shiver slightly from the cold, and she found it amusing to see her try to fight it to look tough. "Hey, you should be proud of me." Max gave her girlfriend a puzzled expression.

"Proud? How come?"

"I just got through an encounter with Adrian without having the urge to beat his face in." Max laughed at the rather darker-sided humour of the joke.

"Bravo. I am _very_ proud that you didn't commit physical assault." Max sarcastically applauded.

"But seriously. I think Adrian has…potential." Chloe said.

"Potential? For what?"

"To become…better. He knows what he did was wrong, that's the perfect first step to redemption."

"Whoa, when did Chloe Elizabeth Price become a rehab therapist?"

"Long before Maxine Caulfield dug her way into my life. You just prevented me from kickstarting my career." Max just scoffed at Chloe's joking return.

"Yeah right, you'd make an _awful_ therapist." Chloe dramatically placed a hand on her chest and gasped.

"Max, I am _offended_! I'd make a hella awesome therapist."

"You'd probably just hand your patient a bong and tell them to hit up."

"I would not! I'd take a hit for _myself_ first." Max fell slightly forward from the laughter.

"I think you need to learn a thing or two from me, because I'm _clearly_ a professional when it comes to therapy and psychological healing." Max's posture straightened up arrogantly, proudly boasting her fictional status as a therapist following her one-on-one session with Chloe a few days prior.

"Oh yes, how could I forget the talented Doctor Max?"

"You know, I like the ring to that."

"You'd look hella cute in a doctor's lab coat."

"Chlo, you think I look cute in _anything_."

"Because it's true."

"What if I was wearing like, a hot dog costume?"

"I fucking _love_ Hawt Dawg Man."

"What about pig guts?"

"Still sexy." Max playfully shoved Chloe's chest and stuck her tongue out.

"You can be unbearably adorable sometimes." The brunette remarked, prompting a brief chuckle from the punk.

The wind picked up, and Chloe once again shivered, but this time she was far less secretive about it. Max could hear her teeth chitter clearly.

"You're hella freezing, aren't you?" Max asked.

"Wha-what? N-no, of course not."

"You look like your snot is about to turn into icicles."

"Fine, I'm just a li-little bit c-cold."

"Little bit?" Max raised an eyebrow.

"Okay fine, my nipples are like fucking daggers right now." Max laughed and brought Chloe in tighter to help her warm up.

"You wanna go inside?" Max already knew the answer before she asked the question.

"Y-yes pl-please."

* * *

Max's eyes fluttered awake to the sight of a very unfamiliar ceiling, but quickly remembered why. It hadn't been the easiest task to fall asleep right away, but with Chloe's hand calmly running through her hair and her body wrapped around her like a blanket, she eventually drifted off without too much trouble.

She rubbed her eyes and blinked rapidly, then shifted over to be greeted by Chloe staring right at her with half-asleep eyes.

"Morning." The punk greeted with a smile. Max's attention immediately went to the noticeable bruised spot on her right cheek. She unknowingly grimaced at the sight, feeling a slight bit of pain to see her girlfriend with a visible mark from last night's altercation. "Is it _that_ bad?" Chloe asked, noticing her girlfriend's sudden change of facial expression.

"No, it looks…fine."

"Do I still look smoking hot?" Chloe sarcastically tilted her head back with a cocky grin, slightly posing in bed like a supermodel.

"Always beautiful." Max replied, making Chloe smile.

A knock on the door averted their attention and Chloe groaned as their moment alone was cut abruptly short.

"Who is it?" Max called out.

"It's Rachel!" The blonde's familiar voice responded.

"And Steph!"

"Go away!" Chloe jokingly replied.

"Just open the damn door, you sloth!" Max crawled off the bed and lazily threw on Chloe's t-shirt over her bare upper body, not bothering to wear anything over her underwear. She turned the cheap lock on the room door, missing the handle the first time she went to grab it.

To her surprise, Rachel and Steph stood wearing clothes that certainly weren't the same from what they had worn to the concert. Rachel was in a red t-shirt and jeans while Steph was wearing an oversized grey hoodie and black sweat-pants, with her beanie still perched on her head.

"What the hell are you two wearing?" Max asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Thrift store clothes." Max was puzzled even more at Rachel's response, and it was only then she noticed the girl was holding a large shopping bag.

Typically, Rachel let herself in with Steph following close behind and placed the bag onto the foot of the bed.

"Whoa, hey!" Chloe recoiled back and brought the bedsheets up to her bare chest to shield herself.

"What?" Rachel shrugged, confused.

"I got the mistresses out, do you mind?!" Chloe exclaimed.

"Oh, come on, I've seen your tits before." Rachel stated, rolling her eyes at Chloe's sudden embarrassment.

"Yeah, that's 'cause we were in a changing room!"

"God, fine. Here." Rachel dug into the bag and tossed Chloe a blue t-shirt to wear before turning her back to her with Steph doing the same.

Once Chloe was satisfied, she let go of the blankets and threw on the shirt, still briskly just in case.

"Okay, I'm good." She announced before stumbling out of the bed.

"So do you mind telling us why you have a bag full of thrift store clothes?" Max asked, scratching her head.

"Well, Steph and I didn't wanna wear our sweaty clothes from last night, so the boys gave us some cash to spend. We found this thrift store in town and just bought whatever was cheapest. I'm pretty sure most of this is male stuff." Max held up an odd shirt with a picture of a cartoon giraffe with its neck emerging out from a glass of chocolate milk, an image she really couldn't make up herself if she tried.

"What even is this shirt?" She asked, arching an eyebrow and tilting her head to the side at the peculiar image.

"I don't know, Steph picked it out."

"Yeah, 'cause it's fucking awesome! It's a giraffe in chocolate milk, how could you not like that?" Steph argued, snatching the shirt from Max and admiring its unconventional design.

"Uhh, okay…Anyways, dress up with whatever, I guess. We're gonna be leaving for Arcadia soon." Max and Chloe nodded in understanding.

Rachel and Steph left the room to allow the two to change and get ready, and once they both were gone, both girls simply looked at each other and shrugged before fixing their attention on their new bag of clothes.

* * *

"I cannot believe you chose to wear that shirt." Max clasped her face with her palm as Chloe presented herself with arms outstretched wearing the giraffe shirt.

"What? I like it." Chloe observed herself and grinned widely, chuckling at the strangely funny image decorating her new shirt. Max simply sighed and rolled her eyes.

Chloe skipped to the door and swung it open before holding out her hand elegantly to Max.

The brunette scoffed but grabbed her girlfriend's hand regardless, and the two left the room hand-in-hand, with Chloe using her free hand to carry the shopping bag from the thrift store now filled with their clothes from last night.

The weather had cleared to be much nicer that day compared to the previous night, much to Max's relief. The air was warm with the occasional cool breeze flowing through her hair.

"I never asked this, but how'd you like your second mosh pit?" Chloe asked.

"As if my screams of joy and excessive laughter didn't make it obvious enough. Of course I loved it. Even better than last time." Max's answer lit up Chloe's eyes with delight as well as cause her to grin with a subtle smugness to her attitude.

"Glad you had fun, babe. It was a total blast. Minus the, you know," Chloe gestured to the bruise on her cheek. "getting socked in the face."

"Geez, how's your mom gonna react to that?" Max cringed, still struggling to bear the sight of a wound on her girlfriend's face. On the opposite side of her head however, Max did find that the mark did portray Chloe as quite the badass.

"Two years ago, she woulda hella freaked. Now, she'll probs ask a question or two and leave it with a 'be careful next time'"

"Speaking of your mom, I still wanna have dinner with her sometime." Chloe's shoulders slumped and she groaned as she had hoped that Max had forgotten about that.

"Do we _have_ to though?" Chloe whined with a pout.

"Yes." The punk wailed out exaggeratingly as if she were an infant. "Oh god." Max facepalmed at her antics but laughed regardless. "You're such a baby."

"Yeah, but I'm _you're_ baby."

"How did your mother ever put up with you for eighteen years?" Chloe playfully punched Max in the shoulder.

Once they reached the foot of the stairs, the two noticed the whole gang gathered around Vinnie's SUV, seemingly discussing about something as they waited for them to arrive.

"Ready to go?" Vinnie asked, tossing a bite-sized piece of chocolate in his mouth.

"Should be. Not like we really brought any luggage." Chloe said, looking down at the shopping bag in her hand.

"Except for me, I brought a Chloe-sized suitcase." Max bantered.

"Alright, if we're all set then we should get going." The group nodded and filed into the vehicle but as Max waited to get into the passenger seat with Chloe she noticed Adrian leaning against his car smoking a cigarette alone.

"Max, you coming?" Max noticed that she had stopped in the middle of entering the car.

"Huh? Oh uhh, can you wait for me for just a sec?" Chloe was puzzled but also somewhat concerned, so she stepped out of the car and realized what Max had seen.

"You gonna be okay?" Chloe asked, not needing Max to tell her what she planned on doing.

"Yeah. I'm just gonna say goodbye, I guess." Max nervously rubbed her arm, sending Chloe a reassuring smile to let her know that she would be okay.

"Alright, but I'm gonna be _right_ here in case anything goes down, okay?" Max nodded and gave her girlfriend a light peck on the lips before shuffling over to the unaware Adrian who stared aimlessly up at the morning clouds.

Max stopped a few feet away from the man and took a deep breath.

"Adrian?" The bearded man slightly jumped and turned swiftly and slightly smiled when he saw Max.

"Uhh, hey, Max." He greeted, tossing his cigarette away.

"Are you coming with us?" She asked.

"No, I think I'm gonna stay in town for a bit and kinda think stuff through. Just need some time to plan everything out."

"Plan what?"

"I don't know. The future, I guess. What I'm gonna do to move on, forget Kathy and just keep going forward."

"Oh. I'm very happy for you." Max let a warm smile onto her lips.

"Thanks." There was a short silence and Max stared at the pavement below her with a hand holding her other arm.

"I uhh…I should go." Max pointed back over her shoulder to the SUV waiting for her.

"Oh, right, yeah." Adrian nervously chuckled. "I uhh…Goodbye, Max." Adrian still sounded guilty from what he had done, it was evident in the way he spoke and acted.

"See ya, Adrian. Take care of yourself."

"I will." Max gave a gentle wave before turning around and heading back to the group.

Max finally entered the SUV with Chloe and the vehicle slowly left the parking lot of the motel, passing by the lonely Adrian one final time before driving onto the road and leaving town.

* * *

"Hmm…I spy with my little eye…something that starts with…C." Vinnie smiled proudly at his choice of object as he drove his father's SUV down the seemingly endless freeway back to Arcadia Bay.

"Chloe!" Max called, shooting her hand up in the air as if she was in kindergarten.

"What? No, I can't even see her from here."

"Oh come on, you got a rear-view mirror." Max crossed her arms and pouted, disappointed that her guess was incorrect.

"Carson?" Steph suggested, only to be responded with the shaking of Vinnie's head. "Dammit."

"Car?" Rachel tried, rather unsure of her own guess.

"I'm not _that_ obvious, guys." Vinnie scoffed.

The group sat for a moment left wondering what Vinnie's object was, with some of them scanning their surroundings out the windows for anything noteworthy starting with 'C'.

"Okay, you want me to just tell you?" Vinnie asked after a long few moments of silence. The group nodded eagerly. "Cloud." The others groaned out loudly in response at the underwhelming choice of object.

"Really? Cloud?" Chloe whined.

"What? I thought it was a good choice." Vinnie argued, raising a hand up in dispute.

"Hella laaame. I wanna try!" Chloe excitedly clapped as she began looking out the window for something to choose.

However, before she could make up her mind, a sputter and clunk emitted from the engine and the SUV began rolling to a dead stop. Vinnie pulled up to the side of the busy freeway and parked the vehicle safely, cursing under his breath that his father's beloved machine had failed him once again.

"For fuck's sake, what now?" He groaned, hopping out of the car and lifting the hood up. Chloe left as well to join him, and Max followed as well, until eventually the whole party exited the vehicle.

Cars whizzed past the group left stationary on the side of the road, the sound of tires zooming across asphalt filling the air.

Chloe and Vinnie immediately began staring into the engine bay, conversing about technical and mechanical gibberish Max couldn't fathom. However, seeing Chloe lean over the engine and tinker with it gave Max a sense of pride, to see her girlfriend immediately rush over to something she seemingly enjoyed doing.

"How long before we're back out on the road?" Rachel asked.

"Hard to say, but the last time we had to wait about two hours for Vinnie to get the thing up and running again." Rachel's jaw collapsed, clearly not keen on waiting that long, especially at the side of a noisy freeway. "Don't get too upset though, you never really know with these things, I guess. Cars can be unpredictable sometimes, as Vinnie likes to say."

Max decided to join Chloe, perhaps keep her company as she toiled away.

"How's it looking?" She asked.

"So far, can't really tell. Might be something to do with the radiator hose but it could be an air filtration issue." Max scrunched her nose at the string of nonsense that flowed out of Chloe's mouth.

"Is there any way you can explain that to me in English?"

"Oh, right. Uhh, car go boom boom, it no go." Max nodded at the much simpler as easier to understand version of Chloe's explanation, and it was all she needed to know.

"You want me to keep you company?" Max asked.

"I think I'll be okay. Besides, I got Vinnie here." The punk looked over at Vinnie who gave her a gentle salute.

"We still have some snacks and drinks we got from the rest stop back there, you want me to get you anything?"

"Thanks, but I think I'm okay." Chloe sent a reassuring smile.

"Alright. Just let me know if you need anything, okay, sweetie?"

"Of course." Max leaned up to give Chloe a light peck on the cheek.

"Also, try not to get your hand cut off or something." Max joked with a hint of seriousness.

Chloe merely scoffed as she stuck her hand down into the engine bay, within a small gap between an assortment of parts.

"Relax, I'll be fi-AHHH! OH MY GOD!" Max immediately jumped to Chloe's aid, fearing for her life as the bluenette began vigorously shaking her arm and screaming in pain.

"Chloe!" After a few short seconds, the punk burst into laughter and pulled her arm out with ease, cackling maniacally at her cruel prank. "Dammit, Chlo!" Max crossed her arms and frowned unamusingly.

"I'm sorry, that was too good to resist!" Chloe wiped a tear of laughter that formed in the corner of her eye.

"Vengeance. Is nigh." Max said, staring directly into Chloe's eyes with a fiery determination to return the favour.

Chloe returned with a sly wink which was responded with a gentle cheek slap from Max, her final gesture before turning to walk back to the group and leave Chloe and Vinnie to work.

"Wait, Max!" Chloe called. Max rotated to face her.

"Yeah?"

"Can you get me a chocolate bar?" The brunette's shoulders dropped and she frowned with an unamused expression at the request. "Please?"

Max sunk her head and sighed.

"You're lucky I love you."

* * *

"Okay! Start her up!" Chloe called out with her head hung over the engine bay, her hands painted black with motor oil along with similar smears on her cheek. Her once spotless denim jacket was now stained with black smudges, same with her pants.

"You know what they say, seventh time's the charm." Vinnie quipped before turning the key in the ignition. The SUV sputtered for a few tense moments as the gang bit their nails and clenched their teeth for the seventh time, but after what felt like eternity, the car roared to life, its loud, grumbling engine being drowned out by the cheers and whoops of the people around it.

"Haha, fuck yes!" Chloe cried with excitement, fist pumping the air with her dirty hand.

Vinnie hopped out of the car and high-fived Chloe after nearly an hour of arduous and monotonous work to get the vehicle back running had finally paid off.

"Awesome. I think if it weren't for you, we'd have been stuck here for a _lot_ longer. Appreciate the help." Vinnie complimented.

"No problemo, my man. Always a pleasure."

"Hey, Vinnie, maybe you should offer her a job." Carson joked, chuckling lightly.

"Yeah, right. Maybe he should give me a back massage while he's at it." Chloe teased as well, reaching over into the back seat for a few bottles of water to roughly clean her hands.

"Actually," Vinnie took a moment of contemplation. "Why not?"

"Why not what?" Chloe asked, confused.

"A job." Chloe's jaw immediately dropped at the offer, nearly dropping her water bottles as well.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah. A friend of mine is setting up an auto shop in Portland and I think he's looking for a few extra hands." This time Chloe actually dropped the water bottles.

"You're fucking with me right now."

"I'm dead serious, Chlo." The punk ran over and squeezed the man tightly, hard enough to suffocate him.

"You're welcome." Vinnie wheezed through chuckles. "I can text you the details once my buddy's got everything sorted. Shouldn't be more than a few weeks."

Max hadn't noticed that a cheek-to-cheek grin had emerged onto her face as she heard the news. Chloe had been looking for easy work for a little while now and this was the perfect opportunity for her to chase a passion and earn money at the same time. Max was incredibly proud of her girlfriend.

"That's fucking _awesome_! Dude, you have no idea how much…wait…" Chloe had to cut herself off as her expression of gratitude and ecstasy transitioned to worry. "The shop's in Portland? That's nearly a two-hour drive from Arcadia Bay."

"Well, I guess you're right on that. I mean, you have time to think about it, the guy's pretty desperate for help that he'll be fairly flexible with hours so you won't have to wake up at five in the morning just to commute, but it should be expected that you'll be working pretty late."

"Yeah, I'll think about it then." Vinnie nodded at Chloe's answer and moments later the group all filed back into the SUV and hit the road once more, all of them glad to be moving again.

Fortunately, the rest of the ride was without any faults from the vehicle, leaving the party to chat and continue their game of 'I Spy' in peace.

They eventually pulled back into the familiar sight of Arcadia Bay, and although it had only been a day, Max felt like she had been away for so much longer. She felt a slight sting in her heart when Blackwell came into view as she was bummed that the fun had ended, but she was glad to be back home regardless.

They all waved goodbye, and the four girls all walked back to the dormitories under the early afternoon sun with slow conversation keeping them talking on the way before they bid farewell and returned to their respective rooms.

Max let her body grow weak and she collapsed onto her bed face-first, stuffing her face with her pillow.

 _Oh bed, how I've missed you!_

"Chloe, can you come-" Max's sentence trailed off as she looked up to see Chloe staring out her dorm room window in deep thought. Max picked herself up and walked up behind her girlfriend before wrapping her arms snuggly around her waist and resting the side of her head against Chloe's upper back. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Chloe let out a tired sigh. "I'm fine."

"You sure? You seem stressed out about something."

"It's just…That job."

"The one Vinnie offered?"

"Yeah."

"I think it's great, I'm so proud of you for that."

"No, it's not that."

"Then what is it?" Max was left hanging with a long pause as Chloe looked down at her feet with worry.

"It's in Portland, Max."

"Yeah, I know that."

"That means you know how hella far it is from home."

"Yeah, but that's not a huge deal. You have your truck, don't you?"

"It's not transportation that worries me, Max. It's you." Chloe's answer raised questions. Max wondered what she meant by worrying about her.

"Worried about me? Why?"

"If I take this job, it means I probably won't be here for most of the day. I don't want us to be apart for so long every week."

 _Oh wow. I…I never really thought about that._

"Chloe…" The thought finally entered Max's head and made her realize that Chloe was right. She didn't want to miss Chloe for such a long portion of the day, it was the last thing she wanted, but on the other hand, she wanted Chloe to be happy and truly accomplish something as big as her first real job. "You should take the job."

"But Max, I don't want to be away from you-"

"No, Chloe. Look at me." Chloe slowly turned around, still keeping within Max's embrace. "This is huge for you. I don't want you to pass this up just because of me."

"Yeah, but-"

"You want this job, right?" Chloe lightly nodded. "Then you need to take it. You deserve this." Chloe stared deep into Max's eyes in thought, then down at the floor before letting out another audible sigh.

"We have time. I can think about this later. For now, let's try and worry about other things, like whether or not I want a Belgian waffle or a bacon omelette for breakfast at the Two Whales." Max sharply chuckled. She always appreciated Chloe's ability to destress a situation with her clever jokes.

"I'll take both." Max smiled and Chloe did the same. They tightly squeezed each other for a few moments, Chloe gently running her fingers through Max's hair.

The two were tired out, so they both fell asleep in each other's arms for a brief slumber, prepared to wake up only a few hours later to spend the rest of their day in a hopefully productive manner.

Instead, they slept the whole afternoon away together.

* * *

 **A/N: Ack, lots of stuff I have to do, busy busy busy.**

 **I've been trying to squeeze in time to write in my schedule, so be aware that updates may come slower. Sorry about that.**

 **Besides that, nothing else to say. Love you all, stay awesome!**


	22. A Couple of Couples

**Chapter 22: A Couple of Couples**

* * *

 **A/N: Some semi-important stuff at the end.**

* * *

Entering Blackwell Academy made Max thrilled in a way that she only felt once every year. Her eyes lit up at the sight of vibrant warm colours; orange, red, and yellow painted across the halls treated Max's eyes with delight and anticipation for Halloween.

She felt very excited for her first Halloween with Chloe and felt as if she was maybe too excited.

 _Just a few more days…few more days for my favourite holiday ever! Wait, I don't have a costume._

A brief moment of panic washed over Max but her giddiness was quick to overcome it, so she kept moving down the hall, not aware that she was blindly walking, still staring at the autumn decorations of the school.

Not looking where she was going, Max collided with another student and the two of them collapsed backwards onto the floor, and Max shook her head and groaned as the world around her spun.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" The other girl exclaimed, already picking herself up.

Max looked up and saw the familiar face of Courtney, close friend of Victoria and one who she saw snickering and gossiping about her on numerous occasions during the time when Victoria had been her enemy.

"Sorry, I wasn't looking." Max apologized, sinking her head down once she stood back up.

"Oh, Max. I uhh, I didn't know it was you." Courtney's voice was surprisingly not hostile as it usually was, and the sudden change caught Max off guard. "Are you uhh…are you okay?" Max arched an eyebrow at Courtney's concern as it was the exact opposite from what she had expected.

"Yeah, I uhh…I'm fine." Max dusted herself off with a puzzled expression. "So what gives? No 'get out of my face you quirky hipster', or 'go back to the stone age where you and your camera belong'?" Max chuckled, intending her words to be a joke, but Courtney blushed and forced a light laugh as she scratched the back of her neck.

"I uhh…right…" She seemed flustered, not really knowing how to reply to that likely due to guilt. "I heard about what you did for Vic, how you talked to her about how she was feeling? I thought that was really nice of you." Max knew what Courtney was referring to, and it made her realize how Victoria's friends considered her actions. Max never really saw her chat with Victoria as a nice gesture, instead more as something she felt she needed to do.

"Oh, that. I was just doing what I thought I had to." Max smiled as she made her thoughts known. She suddenly felt like some sort of hero as she received this kind of praise and thanks.

"I mean, we were all total bitches to you, Vic especially, no offense to her. Why'd you do it?" Courtney asked.

"We're all human. We all have flaws. I guess I kinda looked past what Victoria did to me and instead looked at her as a human instead of my enemy." Max felt a hint of pride as she quoted Chloe.

"That's…really awesome."

"Thanks, I guess." Max lightly chuckled.

"Well, any friend of Vic is a friend of mine. You're a good person, Max. I'm sorry about…you know…"

"Water under the bridge, Courtney." Courtney smiled amiably at Max's forgiveness and the brunette did the same.

"Hey, look. So, you know the Halloween party happening at the gym, right?" Max would have had to be deaf and blind to not hear about the event. Posters and flyers littered the school's walls like it was paint, and it was the talk between all the students. Max planned on going with Chloe as it was open to all Blackwell students.

"Yeah, I wasn't sure if I wanted to go, though." That was of course a lie. If Chloe was keen on going as well, she would be there, but Max didn't want to seem so eager.

"Well, you should. Everyone's going and I think you'd have a load of fun. Just be sure to bring a bitchin' costume."

"Still working on that."

"But anyways, we have a bit of a secret afterparty happening at Victoria's uncle's place. He's out of town and handed the keys to Vic and said she could do whatever the hell she wanted so long as she cleaned up, and I for one am _sure_ that Vicki would love it if you came along." Max was rather stunned by the offer. She had never been invited to a social event between other kids of her age, with the exception of elementary school birthday parties. It made her slightly giddy and excited to be wanted at such an event, and if her brain's filter didn't exist, she would have accepted long before Courtney finished her sentence.

"That sounds great, I'd love to come." Courtney beamed widely at Max's acceptance. "Is it okay if I brought my girlfriend though?"

"Oh, Chloe? Yeah, of course!" Max was initially surprised to hear that Courtney knew who Chloe was, but then she realized that her girlfriend's less than favourable past reputation with Victoria and vibrant blue hair would have been attributing factors to her being noticed.

"Alright, thanks. I guess I'll see you then?" Courtney nodded.

"You totally will. I'll catch ya later, Super Max." The girl sent Max a beaming grin and waved and the two parted ways, with Max having a smile on her face that stretched from cheek to cheek.

As Max continued her way down the hall to her math class, her heart skipped a beat as she was suddenly yanked into what seemed to be a cramped supply closet, and before she could yelp, a familiar pair of lips mashed onto hers and she was muffled by sudden bliss.

Despite the darkness of the closet, the blue hair and glowing azure pupils of Chloe still shone in the tight atmosphere and Max quickly got lost in the abrupt kiss.

"Chloe, what the hell was that?!" Max cried out in a whisper, somewhat breathless from the moment.

"Early Halloween scare." Chloe impishly winked with her arms tightly wrapped around Max's waist.

Max giggled but sent Chloe an unamused expression in return which she could only hold for a few seconds before the punk dove in for another kiss.

Max let out a soft moan as she could only kiss Chloe back rather intimately, using whatever space she had available to her in the confined area of the supply closet. She felt Chloe lightly tug her hair and tilt her head backwards, while running her free hand up Max's waist then down her back, eventually trailing down to her bottom.

Max eventually parted much to Chloe's displeasure, realizing she only had a few minutes before her next class started.

"Babe, I got class."

"I know, so do I." Max rolled her eyes at Chloe's persistence.

"Okay fine. After school, you get your way with me all you like, okay?" Chloe raised a devilish eyebrow and smirked.

"Ooh la la, but I'm afraid you and I are both busy after school." Max tilted her head slightly to the side in confusion.

"Why, what are we doing?"

"You know how you got excited when Steph and Rach got together since you wanted another couple to hang out with?"

"Yeah?" Max had a general idea of where this was going, but she still wanted to hear it herself.

"Well, we are hella about to have a girls' night out." Max became delighted despite expecting it as she had been eager to experience something like a couples' night out for some time.

"Ooh, I like the sound of that."

"I thought you would. We're gonna have some dinner, maybe hit up a club. We're gonna make tonight our bitch."

"Now I _definitely_ like the sound of that."

"That's my girl. So I take it you're in?"

"You know it." Chloe mouthed a 'yes' at Max's agreement and plunged her lips in for another kiss, gently licking the top of Max's upper lip with the tip of her tongue as she parted. Max looked back to see Chloe with a very aroused look to her face, biting her bottom lip and scanning Max up and down.

"Just saying, you're still granting me that 'all-you-can-eat' pass that you just promised." Max's jaw dropped at Chloe's clever, yet vulgar joke.

"You did _not_ just make that joke." Chloe merely winked and giggled at her own genius. "Okay, I seriously need to go, I'm gonna be late."

"Fine, let's get out of here. It's actually getting hella hot." Max struggled to resist the opportunity for her own turn at making jokes.

"Hmm, maybe it's just me." Max sarcastically held a hand to her chest and gave off the most cocky and narcissistic expression she could make.

"Such a dork." The punk replied before gingerly opening the door to the closet.

Luckily, the halls were mostly empty as many of the students had already dispersed to their classes, so Max and Chloe swiftly left the room away from peering eyes of any witnesses and stepped into the hallway.

"Okay, I'll see you tonight." Max leaned up to kiss the taller girl one last time before waving goodbye and skipping off to her classroom with that previous sense of excitement returning, but for a much different reason.

* * *

Max rushed out of Blackwell with a smile adorning her face as she sprinted down the steps through the campus that was still yet to be occupied as most of the students hadn't even left yet. Max's excitement for the day ahead sent a surge of energy through her body that accelerated her actions like a child on a sugar rush.

Sure enough, Chloe was already waiting by the fountain eating a chocolate bar as she waited for Max, likely having entirely skipped her final class of the day.

Upon seeing her girlfriend running towards her, the punk tossed away the half-finished snack and spread her arms to gesture Max to leap into them, and sure enough, she did.

Surprisingly, Chloe barely staggered as Max flew into her arms, and the girl spun around in a few circles with her lover's arms and legs wrapped around her back, kissing her wildly and giggling with joy.

"You ready?" Chloe asked with a smile, the two girls' noses almost touching.

"Hella yeah." Max replied with a smirk.

Hand in hand, the girls dashed to the dorms and ran through the empty halls before practically breaking down Max's room door.

As soon as the door slammed shut, their lips instantly met and they ran their hands over every inch of each other's bodies.

"We meet in like, two hours so I think I'd like to use that pass right now." Chloe breathlessly spoke after the kisses and Max impishly giggled before nodding.

"Pass redeemed." Max hastily threw her shirt off and buried her lips into Chloe's once more, causing the two to blindly fall backwards onto Max's bed. Amidst the lustful kissing, Max fiddled around with Chloe's jeans zipper, struggling to multi-task and undo it. Following a few moments of failed undressing, Chloe broke into a brief fit of laughter at Max's troubles and gently lifted her girlfriend's hands off of her zipper and effortlessly undid it herself.

"Show off." Max scoffed.

The sounds of aroused moans and sensual kissing filled the room but it wasn't long before the irritating buzz of a vibrating phone came from Chloe's back pocket, interrupting their moment as their luck always provided.

Refusing to let a simple text disturb her, Chloe yanked her phone out and chucked it across the room onto the couch, immediately sinking herself back into Max as soon as she was satisfied.

"Wait, what if that was an important text?" Max asked in a whisper.

"Fuck that," Chloe plunged her lips onto Max's for a quick moment. "nothing's more important than you."

Max really couldn't argue with that logic.

* * *

"Okay, how's this?" Max spun around and presented herself appropriately to Chloe who sat on her bed already dressed up and ready for the big date.

The bluenette dressed in her typical punk fashion with her black leather jacket thrown over a loosely-fitting white shirt along with a pair of clean black jeans, something that Max believed were the only pair of jeans that Chloe had that weren't tattered in some way.

Surprisingly enough and much to Max's pleasure, Chloe had worn a thin but visible layer of rosy lipstick, and it looked far better than how Max had envisioned it in her dreams.

"Absolutely stunning." Chloe said. "That shirt is actually hella perfect, no lie."

"You think so?" Max looked down at herself then turned to the mirror to better observe the new look.

She wore a tightly-fitting sleeved shirt striped with black and white with a pair of blue jeans worn over her legs. She too had opted to put on lipstick of a similar colour to Chloe's, but at a more subtle level that required a keen eye to spot.

Everything had been set and was ready for the big night. Max's heart raced with excitement and she couldn't force the wide smile off her face no matter how hard she tried.

The two practically skipped down the dorm hall holding hands until they arrived just outside Rachel's room, and Max was quick to lively knock on the door in a musical pattern.

Moments later the door swung open, revealing a beaming Rachel wearing a red strapless sundress. Her hair had been curled for the occasion and her make-up was just as meticulous as it was stunning.

"Wowser, Rach, you look amazing!" Max exclaimed, holding a hand to her mouth as she gasped at the sight.

"Ditto to what she said." Chloe said, pointing to Max.

"Thanks. You girls look drop-dead gorgeous as usual." Rachel said as she stepped aside to let the two in, as well as grant them a view of Steph as well.

The redhead wore a white turtleneck sweater with a pair of blue jeans as well as her signature beanie. She had shimmering silver earrings and a shiny necklace and it all displayed a side of Steph that Max would have had never expected. She never saw her geeky Dungeon Master to be so elegant.

"Damn, Steph. You look fucking great." Chloe complimented, leaning slightly back at first glance in momentary awe.

"I know right! She looks amazing, doesn't she?" Rachel hopped up and down giddily with the biggest smile on her face.

"Thanks, guys." Steph chuckled, pulling on her shoes and gathering at the door with the others.

"Shall we?" Chloe gestured out into the hall with a devilish smirk, and with that, the group left the room and headed outside.

* * *

"Where the hell are we?" Max asked, scratching her head as she scanned her surroundings out of the taxi window.

"You'll see, don't stress." Chloe replied with a mischievous grin, hugging Max's shoulders in the backseat of the minivan cab.

Minutes passed and there was no sign or indication of where the group was, and it seemed by the looks that Chloe and Rachel gave each other that Max along with Steph were the only ones out of the loop. They were certainly in a populated town or city as she could easily tell by the houses around her, but what town that was, she had no clue.

The girls had been on the road for at least two hours, and Max felt like she was on the other side of the planet by that point. She had taken a brief half-hour nap which she comfortably enjoyed thanks to the soft cushiony seats of the minivan taxi they had called, and it was a much nicer change of pace compared to the rock-solid seats of Chloe's truck, not that Max didn't care for her vehicle.

Luckily for her, her questions were finally answered once the cab entered the main road, and following a short moment, Max's jaw dropped at a store sign that read 'Portland Flower Kiosk' over a cute little flower shop brightly decorated with vibrant natural colour.

"We're in _Portland_?!" Max exclaimed, shooting her attention back to a cackling Chloe.

"Yeah, baby! If we're gonna have a girls' night out, might as well go all in, am I right?" Max's stunned expression turned into a smile as her wish of one day visiting the big city had been fulfilled.

The cab eventually pulled next to a very prestigious looking restaurant with a large gold sign in cursive font reading 'Pearlington'. The expensive décor and numerous priceless cars parked outside was almost intimidating, and it made Max somewhat glad that Chloe's truck didn't have enough seats to drive there.

The four entered and Max was immediately greeted with the sight of rich crimson velvet and lush wood paired with the elegant sounds of soothing classical music and the gentle conversation of patrons. Max found it difficult to rest her eyes on just one spot as everything around her felt so unfamiliar and wealthy, something that she wasn't.

A well-dressed woman stood behind the reservation desk and immediately noticed the group enter with stunned looks on their faces as their eyes darted around in fascination.

"Welcome to Pearlington Gourmet, may I help you ladies?" The woman asked softly, maintaining a well-mannered attitude as she greeted the girls.

"Yeah, reservation under Amber?" Rachel said. The woman calmly searched through a black hard-cover book and flipped through various pages before settling on a single name.

"Ah yes, Ms. Amber, right this way please." The woman smiled and gestured the girls to follow and soon escorted them around a wall into the main area, where exquisite tables and beautiful carpets greeted them along with customers of the highest class.

Their table was just like any other, but it was a baffling sight nonetheless. A round, delicate piece of furniture with four luxurious chairs surrounding it acted as their spot for the evening, and the seats were certainly as comfortable as they were grand.

Chloe was quick to pull a chair out and over exaggeratedly gesture Max to sit, an action the brunette found cliché but cute at the same time.

"God, you're such a cheeseball." Max said, chuckling and clasping her face as she took the offered chair.

The woman took off back to the desk as soon as the four had been seated, and it gave Max an opportunity to soak in the environment some more.

She felt out of place at an establishment like this. She was far more used to the more modest fast food restaurants or diners that she commonly visited, so a five-star gourmet restaurant was an interesting, but also unsettling change of pace.

The walls were of a deep maroon, with arched open doorways leading to separate areas of the restaurant, seemingly the VIP sections for the exceedingly rich. The carpet at her feet was a dark red with golden tapestry ornamenting it throughout, and above were priceless glass chandeliers that glimmered even off the dim light of the room. At the far end was an empty stage that Max assumed was for live performances, but instead of being treated to such a luxury, she had to settle for the crisp sounds of pianos and brass instruments playing softly over the speakers, not that she was complaining. The corner of the room provided an extraordinary bar with bottles and glasses that looked to be collectively worth the entirety of Arcadia Bay and more, managed by a bartender wearing a clean suit vest and tie.

It was hard to imagine eating somewhere like Pearlington regularly, but if money was in abundance, then people wouldn't hesitate.

"Jesus, did it cost you a kidney to get a reservation here?" Steph asked jokingly as she looked about, fascinated but seemingly also anxious being surrounded by so much wealth.

"I wouldn't be surprised if it did. I was originally planning on somewhere a lot more…modest, but my dad insisted that we come here. Apparently he's been to this place a few times with his attorney pals." Rachel explained as she eyed the menu.

"My napkin looks like it'd sell online for about eight grand." Steph quipped as she held up one of the mentioned napkins.

Max opened up her own menu and her jaw collapsed at her first glance at the prices. She didn't think it would have been possible to put so many numbers into a single restaurant menu despite the list having a rather limited selection compared to her usual places.

After a long dispute with herself, she settled for some smoked duck breast, which was a difficult choice as all the items on the menu seemed mouth-wateringly delicious.

"Man, just sitting in this chair makes me feel so rich." Max remarked as she shuffled slightly in her chair.

"I know right, I feel like someone who'd use a hundred to wipe their ass." Chloe joked, prompting a light giggle from the others.

"Or someone who's sink pours wine." Steph added, only causing more laughter from the rest.

"Oh man, I can imagine someone having a caviar bath!" Rachel continued through a fit of laughter, letting out a snort as she fell back in her chair.

Chloe tilted her head slightly backwards and puckered her lips as she used her index finger and thumb to form a circle that she held up to her right eye, imitating a monocle.

"Oh dear, it's appeared that I have unfortunately spilled my gold martini onto my diamond-encrusted monocle!" Chloe spoke in an over-exaggerated posh English accent and twirled an imaginary mustache. The girls broke into hysterics which was shortly followed up by the clearing of someone's throat from a table close-by and the group turned to see a very unamused and annoyed customer seemingly trying to enjoy his own meal with his wife.

Max blushed and raised her hand slightly, mouthing the word 'sorry' to the man who merely scoffed and returned to eating his own food, and once Max turned back to face her friends, they immediately snickered as they held back uncontrollable fits of laughter that would more than definitely have them kicked out.

Their conversation switched over to a slightly more mature manner for the remaining time it took for their food to arrive.

Eventually, their meals were brought to them via two waiters each holding large trays with their food. They carefully lay down each plate to their respective customers and returned to the kitchen without another word, leaving each girl drooling.

"Holy fuck, this looks awesome." Chloe said, taking a quick whiff of her steak.

"I think this looks better than the picture on the menu. How the fuck is that even possible?" Max joked, her eyes wide in awe at her food.

"Fuck this, not like we need to wait to say grace or something." With that, Rachel dug straight into her food and shoved her fork into her mouth, and her eyes immediately widened as she chewed.

"Oh my god!" She said with a stuffed mouth.

"Is it _that_ good?" Chloe asked in minor disbelief.

"It's like sex, but better!" Steph instantly darted her head to her left and scowled at Rachel who nervously chuckled after realizing what she had said. "Not sex with _you_ , silly." The redhead merely rolled her eyes and sharply nudged her girlfriend with her elbow.

Keen to see what the fuss was about, Max eagerly took a bite from her duck, and her reaction was more or less the same as Rachel's.

"Wowser, that is really good." Max said, quickly following up with another piece.

The girls continued to chat away and dine, fortunately without the disapproval of other customers. They managed their behaviour and continued to act their age, although Max did occasionally have to restrain Chloe from making the odd euphemism or vulgar joke.

Soon enough, they all finished their food, disappointed to see it disappear already but more than satisfied with the quality. The bill arrived moments later and Rachel's jaw dropped once she saw the sum.

"Fucking hell, talk about drilling a hole in your pocket." Rachel said as she reached for her purse.

"You want us to chip in?" Max offered, responded by Rachel with a head shake.

"It's fine, I got a secret weapon." Rachel smirked before revealing a credit card with an unnecessary flourish.

"Is that your dad's?" Chloe asked.

"Why yes, it is."

With their meal paid for and their stomachs full, the group left the restaurant satisfied and gathered at the sidewalk just in front of the building.

"So what's next on our agenda to rule Portland?" Max asked excitedly, having to slightly raise her voice to be heard over the sounds of the bustling streets.

Evening had fallen over the city, clouding it with a sheet of dark indigo. Cars raced down the streets and pedestrians scrambled across the sidewalks, creating an atmosphere that Max struggled to adjust herself to.

"Follow me and you shall see. Hey, that rhymed." Rachel giggled, beckoning the girls to follow.

The group travelled down the street, soaking in the scenery around them and marvelling in its unexpected beauty. Max found it appropriate to take a few shots along the way, and even though most of them lacked the artistic view that she normally sought after, these photos were more for keepsakes than for a potential spot in her portfolio.

Soon enough, Max realized where they were going, and the memory of Chloe mentioning it during their brief make-out session in the supply closet came up.

 _When she said we were going to a nightclub, I didn't think she was being serious. Wait, why am I surprised, this is Chloe I'm talking about._

A decent-length line had formed in front of a vibrant and neon coloured building called 'Club Mirage', and it was just how Max imagined a typical nightclub to be. A burly bouncer standing next to the sleek double doors, a line of well-dressed young adults waiting to enter, and the occasional chauffeured expensive sedan pulling up to drop off their spoiled, and likely already drunk passengers.

The group filed up at the end of the line and patiently waited for the crowd in front to pass through.

"Hell, I've never been to a club before." Max admitted nervously.

"Don't worry, so long as you don't get hammered, you'll have a great time." Chloe assured as she slung an arm around the brunette.

"I wouldn't worry about _me_ getting absolutely wasted, Miss Whiskey." Max teased.

After enough waiting, the line eventually reached them and the group managed to get in without any hassle, and once Max had entered, she was hit with a wave of booming EDM tracks and the cheers of party goers. Flashing neon lights burst across the room, dancing throughout the dimly lit space with a bright intensity that nearly blinded Max when she stared at its source for too long.

"Whoo! This is my kinda place!" Rachel shouted, already hopping about slightly and getting into the rhythm of the music.

"Come on, we're not getting any younger, let's go!" Chloe grabbed Max by the arm and tugged her onto the dancefloor, and just like the mosh pits, she immediately jumped into the groove of the music and moved her hips and threw her hands in the air. Her smile and laughter was contagious to Max, and nothing else made her happier than to see her girlfriend enjoy life and let loose.

Unknowingly amidst her thoughts, Max had joined Chloe, and her own body had begun dancing to the beat and synthetic tunes that blared over the speakers at a near deafening volume. The crowd around them seemed like it moved as one mass almost, as their movements synchronised with the track.

Max felt Chloe's hands being placed on her hips with the bluenette gradually moving closer to her with every passing note. It wasn't long before Chloe mashed her lips aggressively onto Max's, not bothering to take a break in her dancing.

Song after song the two tirelessly moved their bodies in tandem, letting the waves of sound carry them through ecstasy. Despite being surrounded by a vast sea of other people, they only saw each other in that very moment; not caring about what had happened a second before, and not caring about a second after. They focused on the present.

Max's body moved almost naturally, and her eyes never left Chloe's the entire time. An hour blasted by and the girls nearly lost track of time, and it wasn't until Chloe was pulled off the dancefloor that the two snapped back into reality.

"Jesus Christ, girls! You two have been at it for the past hour!" Rachel shouted as she pulled both of them to a nearby booth where her and Steph had been enjoying exotic beverages from the bar.

"Fuck, you serious? Damn babe, I think you and I are the queen and queen of this place!" Chloe exclaimed with a laugh.

"Go grab some drinks, we'll be waiting right here. Oh, and we better not see you two get straight back to dancing, I swear to god, Price, I will shove this martini so far up your ass!" Max and Chloe laughed as they left Rachel and Steph's table and towards the bar, weaving through the other clubbers scrambling to get to the dancefloor.

Upon reaching the bar, Chloe placed a finger to her chin in contemplation before making up her mind a moment later.

"One Sex on the Beach, my good sir." She requested to the finely-dressed bartender, who immediately set to work on her drink with haste.

"Sex on the Beach? That's an actual drink?" Max asked in disbelief as she observed the bartender mix an assortment of liquids into a highball glass filled with ice.

"Yeah. Really fucking good too." The man eventually finished the drink and slid it over to Chloe, who took a gentle sip from the beverage before letting out an 'mmm' of approval. "Hey, maybe I could have you try one, babe." Max instinctively raised her hands in front of her in refusal.

"Nuh uh, no way am _I_ going to drink something called 'Sex on the Beach'."

"Oh come on, there's even a non-alcoholic version." Chloe argued with a smile.

"What's it called?"

" _Safe_ Sex on the Beach." Max's palm connected with her face as she laughed.

"Why am I even surprised?" Feeling a bit parched, Max turned to the bartender. "Can I get an iced tea ple-" Chloe placed a hand on Max's chest to halt her mid-sentence, shaking her head as she sipped from her cocktail.

"Okay, if I can't get you to try a Safe Sex on the Beach, I can at least get you to try something that _isn't_ an iced tea."

"What's wrong with iced tea?"

"Nothing. It's just that we have some hella nice drinks available to us, so might as well try, right?" As much as Max's shyer side wished to stick to her usual drink, the wilder side that emerged when she was with Chloe demanded that she go for something new.

"Ah, what the hell. Why not?" Chloe beamed at Max's agreement.

"Let's see…" Chloe contemplated for a second before smirking once she had found a suitable choice. "Got it. Can you get her a Shirley Temple?" The bartender nodded and set to work, and Max watched the man once more as he prepared her drink with a skillful finesse. He handed her the glass and she examined it for a second before taking a quick sip through a straw.

"So?" Chloe asked, eagerly awaiting Max's verdict.

"That's actually pretty good." She took another, much longer sip from the drink and nodded in approval.

"I knew you'd love it."

The two returned to the table with their new beverages and sat down in the red leather booth seats that surrounded a sleek, black table with ambient neon lights around its edges.

"What the hell took you so long?" Rachel asked.

"We were having a real _looooong_ make-out session in the bathroom." Chloe joked, prompting a shoulder nudge from Max.

Rachel's eyes suddenly drew themselves to Max's glass and the girl let out an 'ooh' and pointed at the drink.

"You got a Shirley Temple!" Max nodded at Rachel's observation before taking in another sip of the oddly addictive drink. "Those are really good, aren't they?" Max nodded again with her lips still gripping the straw. "Chloe, was this your idea?"

Chloe seemed to be in a completely different world. Her eyes were blank and her jaw was agape, looking as if she had seen a ghost.

"Chlo? You okay, babe?" Max asked, waving a hand in front of the girl's face.

"Oh fuck." The bluenette muttered.

Confused at what she was staring at, Max fixed her attention to the general direction of where her girlfriend's eyes had got lost in. Sitting alone in a booth was a boy around her age, sipping from a highball glass with some sort of drink, likely alcoholic. His hair was gelled back and bright brown, and he dressed in a grey blazer jacket and jeans.

Suddenly, he stood up and began walking towards the bar, but his eyes met Chloe's for a brief moment and he made a double take before his facial expression resembled closely of the bluenette's.

"Chloe?" The boy said, slowly approaching the girls' table.

"Aw, fuck." Chloe cursed under her breath before looking back up to face this unknown individual.

Chloe took a deep breath before standing up and forcing a smile.

"Hey, Eliot."

* * *

 **A/N: Hey everyone, hope you're all well.**

 **I'd like to apologize for how late this chapter is. I've been going through a very rough time as of late and it's occasionally ruined my motivation and enjoyment for writing. I never force myself to work since the result of that is never good, but this lack of pleasure from writing fanfics these past few weeks, I've found it hard to find good times to get these done.**

 **I'm really sorry, and I hope to get back to consistently uploading as soon as possible.**

 **Love you all, stay awesome.**


	23. Not So Friendly Faces

**Chapter 23: Not So Friendly Faces**

Chloe's expression displayed calmness, but inside her head she was overwhelmed with shock.

She had felt extreme relief when she had learned that she had managed to cut him out of her life after his desperate attempts to get her attention and his relentless creepiness that portrayed him as someone to avoid.

She never wanted to see him again, not because of hatred, but because of her sheer distaste for who he was, and now, out of all the times the two could have crossed paths again, it had to be when she was trying to enjoy herself with her friends and the love of her life.

The boy whose number one priority seemed to be her.

The boy who never gave up.

Eliot Hampden.

 _Keep calm, Chloe. We're in a public space, resist the urge to cave his face in. Whatever you do, don't punch him. Not yet at least._

"Chloe! It's uhh…Wow, it's great to see you!" Eliot exclaimed beginning to close the gap between the two seemingly for a hug. He outstretched his arms but Chloe refused by backing away a step, giving him the cue to back off with an embarrassed look. "You uhh…you look great!"

"Yeah, thanks. Uhh, you too." Chloe internally cringed after she complimented him, but she wanted to at least try to make amends. They didn't have to be friends again, but if there was a possibility that she could end any bad blood between them, she would at least try.

Eliot's eyes slowly trailed down to Chloe's chest for a brief moment before they adjusted to the other three girls who simply watched everything unfold at their booth. For a split second, he frowned once his eyes met Rachel's.

 _Yep, he just stared at my tits. Good to know he hasn't changed much._

"Hey Rachel, Steph. Good to see you guys." He slightly waved. The girls only waved back without a word.

Eliot then turned his attention to Max and gave off a puzzled look.

"I'm sorry, I either don't remember you, or we've never met." Max looked back at Chloe for safety and the punk quickly stepped in.

"Eliot, this is Max," Chloe gestured to the brunette. "my girlfriend."

Eliot's expression dropped to a look of shock but it switched to an awkward smile.

 _This guy's fucking hopeless. At least try to make it look like you're not disappointed._

"Girlfriend, huh? I uhh…I didn't know you were-"

"Gay? Yeah, well, you learn something new everyday." Chloe wanted to make it clear that she was the polar opposite of interested.

"Right…" There was an awkward silence as Eliot dug through his mind to find out what to say next. "Hey, I'm gonna grab a drink. Chloe, you wanna tag along?" Chloe found it hard to stifle laughter at his offer.

"Nah, you go on ahead, I think I'll just hang here with these guys." She gestured to the other three girls.

"Oh yeah, sure. I'll be back."

 _Please don't._

Once Eliot was out of sight, Chloe groaned and sat back down and immediately sunk her head into her hands. She felt Max place her hand on her back and gently rub it for comfort.

"Who was he?" Max asked.

"Eliot Hampden. He's this creep that used to be my friend a few years ago."

"From what I can tell, he was into you?"

"That isn't even the half of it. You know Warren?" Max nodded. "Eliot is basically him but with a sprinkling of Satan." Max grimaced at the analogy.

"Well, what the hell are we gonna do about him? I don't want that asshole near us." Rachel said.

"I don't know. This is Eliot we're talking about, it'll probably take a lot more than just telling him to take a hike."

Eliot returned in a light jog, seemingly eager to get back as soon as possible, and in his hand was now a cocktail drink.

"Hey girls, what were you talking about?" He asked with a smile.

"Nothing, just school." Rachel replied.

"Oh right, you guys still go to Blackwell, huh?"

"The three of us," Rachel pointed to Chloe and Max as well as herself. "but Steph goes to school in Ohio, she's just here to visit."

"I see. Hey, why don't you make some room for me and we can maybe catch up a bit?" Rachel immediately turned to Chloe with an upset look on her face.

 _Of course I need to do it._

"Eliot, this is sort of a 'girls' night out' thing, we'd prefer if it was just us." Eliot's face drooped instantly.

"Oh. Yeah, that's totally cool. I was joking anyways!" He forced a laugh that made Chloe, and seemingly the rest of the girls cringe. "I got some friends over there anyways. Hey! Wait up guys!" Eliot called out to some unknown target in the room. "I'll see you guys later!"

"Yeah, bye." Chloe gave him a lazy wave goodbye to try and have him leave quickly, and the boy eventually took off into the crowd and disappeared.

"How much you wanna bet he's here alone?" Rachel joked with a hint of seriousness.

"Both my kidneys." Chloe replied.

"I can't fucking stand him, ugh. I remember back in sophomore year he was in my chemistry class and when we got paired up as lab partners he wouldn't stop staring at my tits." Rachel said with a look of disgust.

"Thank god he knew I was gay." Steph added, bringing some laughter to the group.

"I don't know, he was probably still into you anyways." Chloe teased.

"He makes me sick. Like, genuinely sick." Rachel commented, feigning a gag.

"He's changed." Chloe said.

"What do you mean? Does he stare even more now?"

"No, Rach, I'm serious. He's a lot more…awkward."

"I couldn't tell. He's same old stalker Eliot to me."

"Well I could, I actually hung out with him when I was sixteen." The thought brought up a memory she scolded herself still today. "Fuck, I can't believe I slept with the prick." Max's eyes slightly widened.

"Wait, what? I…I'm confused." Max scratched her head in bewilderment.

"Don't worry, it wasn't 'cause I was into him, I was just bored. Also kinda horny. We even dated for three months but I don't think you could even call it a relationship. Wasted three months of my life with that fucking pig."

"And then after that he was just desperate to start the relationship up again?" Chloe nodded to Max's question.

"I mean, he was always kinda awkward, but he was never _this_ bad." Chloe pondered. "Something probably happened after he got expelled."

"Why'd he get expelled?" Max asked.

"Long story short, creepy stalker shit. It's…complicated. I was just glad he was gone."

"Ditto to that." Rachel added.

"Come on gals, we're here to have a good time, so let's just ignore Eliot and get wasted." Steph joked.

"I think I can get behind that." Chloe raised her glass and sipped from her cocktail, letting the alcohol wash away the thoughts of Eliot.

 _Drink more, feel less._

So she did just that.

* * *

"Here we are nooow…entertain us…" Rachel swayed about uncontrollably as she slurred the lyrics to Nirvana tracks while being guided in Steph's arms. "I feel…stupid…and con-contagious…"

 _Fucking hell, I have never seen her this hammered._

"Rachel, come on!" Steph heaved her girlfriend towards the door of the club.

"Here, lemme help." Max stepped in and slung Rachel's other arm over her shoulder for support and made for the exit.

Chloe herself felt slightly tipsy, but nowhere near drunk. Her friend on the other hand had downed cocktail after cocktail until her words eventually became unintelligible and her body movement became dizzy. Chloe couldn't help but sigh at her friend's state but also chuckle slightly.

The bluenette caught up to her friends just as they emerged from the club and back onto the now lit up streets of a Portland in the night.

"Whoo! I looooove the city!" Rachel mumbled, her eyes barely open.

"Where's the cab?" Steph asked.

"Should be here soon." After a few minutes of waiting in the chilly autumn weather all while bearing a slurring Rachel and her drunken singing, the taxi finally arrived and the girls did not hesitate to pile into the minivan.

Just as Chloe entered the vehicle, she noticed Max just outside the passenger door looking the opposite direction into the crowd of people formed just by the club's front entrance with a concerned look on her face.

"Max? What's wrong?" Chloe asked.

"Nothing. Thought I saw something." Max shook her head and followed Chloe into the minivan, and from there it was a sleepy two-hour journey back to Arcadia Bay.

* * *

"When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie!" Rachel cackled with drunken laughter as she wobbled her way back to the dormitories with her arms over Steph's shoulders.

During the long trip back, Max had dozed off in the passenger seat of the minivan cab onto Chloe's lap, and still remained asleep when they arrived at Blackwell. Seeing no reason to wake her, Chloe took the liberty of taking her girlfriend in her arms and carrying her back.

The bluenette stared at the sleeping girl with a smile, enchanted by her peaceful face and light breathing as she rested.

A long, tiresome walk later, the group finally reached the dorms and grudgingly walked upstairs to the second floor. The halls were deserted at the late hour and were eerily quiet, but Chloe enjoyed the peace.

"You gonna be okay?" Chloe whispered to the exasperated Steph.

"Yeah. Don't worry about me." She replied. "Tonight was fun."

"It was. Good night, Steph." Steph responded with a gentle salute and the two parted ways, each with their girlfriends under their care.

Chloe dug into Max's pocket carefully for her room key, cautious as to not wake the sleeping girl.

A tiny moan escaped the brunette's lips and her head gently swayed side to side before her eyes stirred half-open.

"Shh, go back to sleep, baby." Chloe whispered, leaving a soft kiss on Max's forehead.

Without another word, Max's eyes calmly shut once again and the girl fell back into rest, letting Chloe unlock the door and carry her lover onto her bed.

She tucked her in and left one final kiss on her temple before giving her back a much-needed stretch.

 _I am hella drained out. I think I need to hibernate._

Chloe opened Max's closet and dug into the back where she had left a bag of some of her own spare clothes that she left in Max's room in case of an emergency like this. Relieved and glad to have thought ahead, she threw off her jacket and her top and reached for the spare t-shirt in the bag until she heard a faint thud outside in the hall.

 _That was…weird…I'm honestly too tired to check, probably just Samuel feeding squirrels or something._

She shook her head and went back to changing and lazily threw on a t-shirt, missing the sleeve hole twice as she tried to put it on. She followed with a pair of sweat pants before placing the bag back to its original location, then carefully slid into bed next to Max and gently wrapped her arms around the petite girl and kissed the back of her head before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

 _Agh, what the hell?_

Chloe felt a strange tickle on her cheek and still asleep, she brought up an arm to brush it away. Moments later she felt it again, this time on her forehead and her arm reacted similarly.

"Max…come on, I'm trying to sleep…" Chloe mumbled, assuming it was her girlfriend playing around while she slept.

She tried to drift back to sleep and kept her eyes shut in an attempt to shut the world out so she could rest.

Luckily, the odd touch stopped reoccurring and Chloe was left to sleep in peace, but rather than an irritating tickle, she heard the loud sound of a guitar falling onto the floor and emitting the collective sound of its strings reverberating in the room, followed by a whispered 'shit!' from a voice.

Chloe's body shot up and her eyes went wide open as her head darted around the room to see what had caused the noise. Immediately, her eyes caught the culprit and her jaw collapsed.

"Eliot?! What the fuck are you doing here?!" She exclaimed, causing the boy to hold out his hands and flush with embarrassment.

"Oh god, uhh…I'm so sorry, I just…Fuck!" He stammered, scanning his surroundings frantically for an excuse or exit.

"What's happening?!" Max had awoken as well, and her reaction was more or less the same as Chloe's when she saw Eliot. "Oh my god, is that Eliot?"

"You better tell me what the fuck is going on _right now_ , or I will shove my foot so far up your ass I'll be able to tickle your teeth with my pinky toe." Chloe threatened, only causing Eliot more distress.

"I'm sorry! I wasn't doing anything, I just…Dammit!" Eliot grasped his hair with both hands and pulled, groaning in frustration as his body refused to stand still.

"Eliot, tell me what you're doing here. _Right_. _Now_." Chloe held up a fist to show that she meant business.

"Okay, fine! I snuck in here, I'm sorry!" He admitted sheepishly.

"Why?!"

"Because…because I just wanted to see you again."

"Oh, aww." Chloe sarcastically placed a hand to her heart to feign that she felt touched. "You snuck into my girlfriend's dorm room just to see me again, that's so sweet of you, Eliot."

"Really?" Eliot raised a hopeful eyebrow.

"No, you fucking moron! Are you some sort of creep?! Wait, I don't even need to ask that, you _are_ a creep!"

"Sorry! I don't know, I wasn't thinking!"

"Clearly! God, I can't believe you! Were you just sitting here watching me sleep?!"

"Yes…?" Eliot squeaked, wincing slightly.

"Argh! I am going to _kill_ you!" Chloe leapt up from the bed and began sending her fists brutally into Eliot's stomach, causing him to bring up his hands to shield himself.

"Ow, ow! Stop! Chloe, stop! Please!" Eliot curled back and faced the blows, unable to defend himself from Chloe's relentless attacks. The punk eventually stopped and grabbed the boy by his collar, bringing up her free hand to hold a fist in front of his face, ready to come down.

"Give me _one_ good reason why I shouldn't turn your face into a fucking casserole." She warned.

"Uhh…shit! Well uhh…Please don't hurt me!" He begged, already bracing himself for the impact.

 _God, he is hopeless._

Chloe let go and shoved Eliot onto the couch before kneeling down in front of him.

"How the hell did you get in here?" She asked, demanding an answer.

"I uhh…I picked the lock. It was easy to crack." He answered nervously, shaking with every inch of his body.

"How long were you…" Chloe's insides grew slightly sick at the thought of Eliot watching her sleep, and it made her finally realize what those odd tickling sensations were. He must have been gently caressing her face as well. She shuddered at the image. "…how long were you watching?"

"Not long, I swear. Only twenty minutes." Chloe simply scoffed at the number.

" _Only_ twenty? You call that 'not long'?!"

"It's not… _that_ long…" Eliot's reply made Chloe bring a hand to her face.

"So let me get this straight. You snuck into the girls' dormitories, lock picked my girlfriend's room door, then watched us _sleep_ for twenty minutes?" Eliot only nodded slowly, anticipating another punch. "And you did this just because you 'wanted to see me again'?"

"Okay, look. I thought after I got kicked out of Blackwell I'd forget about you, and after a while I kinda did! But when I saw you earlier at the club, it kinda just all came back, you know? I'm sorry, okay. What I did was wrong, and I'll _never_ come back, I promise!" Eliot clapped his hands together, begging for forgiveness.

"I don't need to hear a damn promise because you will _never_. _Come_. _Back_. Understand?" Eliot nodded rapidly. "Good." Chloe pointed to the door, but Eliot simply stared back at her with a puzzled expression. "What, are you waiting for a pizza or something? Get out!" With that, Eliot leapt up to his feet, stumbling forward as he bolted for the door. He ran off, never to be seen again.

Chloe sighed and looked back at Max with an apologetic expression, the brunette only looking back with widened eyes and an agape mouth.

"I'm sorry about that. I don't know what's wrong with him, he must be fucking nuts."

"No, it's fine. Not like you're the one who snuck in here." Max scratched the back of her head, still sat on the bed huddled in the sheets. "I have to admit. You were pretty badass dealing with him."

"Tell me something new." Chloe smirked and crawled her way back to the bed, cuddling back next to Max and returning to the warmth of the bedsheets and her girlfriend's arms.

She felt wide awake though, the adrenaline from what had just occurred still rushed through her body and she found it hard to keep her eyes shut.

"I kinda wish you called the cops on him or something." Max admitted. Chloe chuckled as a memory came back to her for a brief moment.

"I don't think I'd wanna do that to him." She pecked Max on the forehead. "Not a second time."

* * *

"Oww…" Rachel groaned as she held a hand to her temple, slouched over in the diner booth with nauseated eyes and a comforting Steph sitting next to her.

Chloe struggled to hold back a laugh, as cruel as it was to mock her friend's pain.

"I see you holding back that laugh, Price." Rachel scolded. "Ugh…"

"Sorry. Hangover Rachel is just too funny." Chloe's tease only prompted an unamused frown from Rachel who then sunk her head into the table.

"Who's idea was it to go to some skeevy ass nightclub in Portland anyways?" She whined with her face still down towards the diner table.

"Uhh, yours?" Chloe replied. Rachel let out another, much louder groan, likely one of self-loathe as she now suffered from the consequences of her impulsive cocktail drinking.

Moments later, Joyce arrived with a tray of four cups of coffee, handing one out to each girl there.

"How're you feeling, kiddo?" Joyce asked to the grouchy Rachel. As a reply, the girl only let out yet another groan as she felt too hungover for intelligible words. Joyce looked at the others and shrugged before her eyes landed on Max and she smiled.

"Why hello, Max. I haven't seen you in quite some time, it's good to see you." She greeted warmly.

"Great to see you too, Joyce. You look great."

"Why, thank you. By the way, we really need to have that dinner sometime."

 _Oh god, not this again._

Chloe clasped her face and tried to shoo away her mother before she could engage in a conversation.

"Mom, please. I don't wanna."

"Chloe, stop being so childish, I'm trying to talk to Max here."

"Yeah, Chloe." Max joined in with a smirk. "She's trying to talk to me." Chloe's jaw could only drop as she could hardly believe that she was being tag-teamed.

"Betrayed by my own girlfriend. Max, how dare you?" Chloe held up a sarcastic hand to her chest in offense, causing a light giggle from Max.

"Anyways, how does Thursday sound?" Joyce asked.

"That sounds perfect. I'll see you then." Max replied, giving a friendly smile. With that, Joyce returned to her duties and left the girls.

They quickly gulped down their coffees before Max noticed the time on her phone.

"Oh shoot, it's almost time for first class. I'm gonna go. Babe, you coming?" Max asked as she stood up to leave.

 _To skip, or not to skip. That is the question._

"Meh, I got nothing better to do." Chloe hopped up from her seat and joined her girlfriend, turning to Steph and Rachel before leaving. "Steph, you gonna watch over Rachel, right?" Steph nodded, patting Rachel lightly on the back for reassurance.

Max and Chloe left hearing one final groan just as they reached the door of the restaurant.

* * *

Lesson after lesson, Max and Chloe endured another dreary day of school, luckily one with their shared chemistry class.

A lingering thought that struggled to leave Chloe's head was Eliot. What had happened last night certainly shocked her, and it was one of the last things she expected to happen that night, even considering Eliot's affection for her. Would that really be the last she'd see of him? Perhaps him seeing her again after some time triggered his fondness for her to return, and there was now a strong potential that he'd return to pester Chloe. She couldn't let that happen. Not when she was with Max.

They left the building hand in hand but feeling bored out of their minds.

"Your place or mine?" Chloe asked to a very tired looking Max.

"Yours." Max replied.

The two made their way to Chloe's nearby pickup and headed off for the Price residence, eager to get some much-needed rest to wash away the exhaustion of their recent school day.

They eventually made it to Chloe's house, walking up to the door with Max following closely behind her punk girlfriend. The bluenette gingerly peeked into the house and scanned the living room, her mother or step-father nowhere to be seen.

"Mom?" She called. There was no response. "Sweet, a house all to ourselves." Chloe smirked.

They skipped upstairs to Chloe's room and immediately leapt into the bed, relaxing in each other's arms and finally having the perfect chance to rest alone.

"So, we gonna do something productive today or are we just gonna lie here?" Max asked.

"Productive ain't in my dictionary, babe." Chloe joked as she gently pushed away a few stray strands of hair that were over Max's eye.

"Good, 'cause it certainly isn't in mine either." Max sighed a breath of relief as they were finally able enjoy each other's company, alone in a room they could safely call their home.

Chloe's messy and wildly decorated room felt comforting to the both of them, a place where they could drown the world out and focus on each other. They always cherished the moments they spent in this room and Chloe could recall every second they were in there in perfect detail.

Max cuddled into Chloe's arms and got comfortable in her embrace, with Chloe being able to feel her girlfriend's soft breath exhaling onto her shoulder.

Chloe placed several feathery kisses on Max's forehead, rubbing her back gently and pushing strands of her hair back. She watched her girlfriend, whose face was only millimetres away from her own, shut her eyes and fall into a cozy slumber in her arms. It made Chloe smile like nothing else, seeing her beautiful angel fall asleep like a child under her touch.

These were the exact moments she cherished. No talking. No one else. Just them, holding each other.

Together.

* * *

 **A/N: Oh boy, it's been a while, sorry!**

 **Been able to sort some of my problems out, and writing as slowly crept its way back into my life. After a few weeks of taking some time for myself I feel like I've begun a slow recovery to getting a little better so my hope is to get back to writing more consistently and updating this fanfic more often. I appreciate those who have been patient and still continue to read this story, it still baffles me to see how many people view it daily, I am humbled and forever grateful for the support.**

 **Now to readers of my other fic Lost Without You, I recently released its sequel Vagabond which is currently on its third chapter and still ongoing. If you haven't seen it and enjoyed Lost Without You, be sure to check that one out, the support would mean a lot. Thanks!**

 **Besides that, I love you all! Stay awesome!**


	24. Shopping Spree

**A/N: Important note at the end regarding my hiatus.**

* * *

 **Chapter 24: Shopping Spree**

Max let out a lengthy yawn with her fingers curled around the handle of a coffee-filled mug and her back slouched forward on the dining room chair. Her blinks were sluggish and her eyes were half-awake, and she took quiet and gentle sips of her caffeinated beverage as she struggled to wake herself up from her long afternoon nap.

Chloe approached from the kitchen with a plate of pancakes coated in syrup in her hand, placing it on the table in front of Max along with a fork that she slid to the brunette. Her girlfriend seemed like she didn't even notice the food, looking as if she was sleeping with her eyes open.

 _Heh, Max is hella cute when she wakes up from naps._

"Hello?" Chloe waved a hand in front of the oblivious girl. "Earth to Max?"

Max simply let her head fall into the palm being waved in front of her, allowing it to rest on Chloe's hand like a skin pillow. Chloe merely chuckled and rubbed Max's face wildly to hopefully erase away some of the grogginess.

"You should eat." Chloe pointed to the plate of delicious food with the edge of her own fork.

"Pancakes…Mmm…" Max mumbled. Too lazy to grab the fork, she brought her head down onto the table next to the plate and used her mouth to chomp a mouthful of pancake rather sloppily, prompting a short fit of laughter from Chloe.

The area around her lips were now covered in small pieces of the pastry and maple syrup, creating a rather inelegant sight of the girl.

"Real classy, Max." Chloe joked, Max giving her a sluggish wink through her half-lidded eyes in response with a lazy smile. Chloe sighed as she knew that the only way she would be able to get her girlfriend to eat properly was if she fed her. She wiped the girl's mouth with a napkin and then picked up her fork and cut off a generous piece of pancake before aiming for Max's mouth. "Open wide." Max obeyed immediately and her jaw fell open with a smile, and Chloe couldn't help but chuckle as she fed her lover like an infant.

The brunette chewed slowly and gulped down eventually, giggling almost drunkenly once the food had gone down her system.

Chloe spent the next few minutes feeding Max piece by piece until the meal had eventually dwindled down to a few crumbs and a small puddle of leftover syrup. The punk took a napkin and patted the syrup stains on around Max's lips in a motherly way, soaking up every spot that the immature Max had left on her face.

"Alright, I want you to go upstairs and get changed, we need to go out." Max responded with a loud groan as her head fell onto the table sleepily.

"But I wanna stay here." She whined.

"We need to go buy Halloween costumes while we have a chance. You don't wanna show up at the party in your hipster jeans, do you?" Max's head darted up with a frown at the banter.

"Hey! You love my jeans." Chloe laughed at Max's defense.

"Just shush and go get changed. Please."

"Fiiiiiine." Max sighed and got up from her chair, wobbling on her feet as she sluggishly trudged up the steps to Chloe's room.

Minutes passed and Max had yet to return from her trip upstairs. Fearing that she had fallen asleep again, Chloe groaned and made her way up the steps, calling out her girlfriend's name.

"Max? If I see you asleep on my bed, I am going to sit on you!" Much to her surprise, rather than being greeted to a sleeping Max, she instead saw her girlfriend holding back giggles wearing a familiar white tank top and ripped jeans, topped off with a beanie that Chloe could only recognize as her own.

Chloe couldn't help but let out a short fit of laughter, only causing it to spread to Max, prompting some hysterics from her as well.

"Babe, what the hell are you doing?" Chloe asked through a chuckle.

"It's my Halloween costume!" She exclaimed, outstretching her arms for her girlfriend to see clearly. The clothes were very much too big for her, making her seem like someone had shrunk a person.

"Is it now?" Chloe stepped forward towards Max and wrapped her slender arms around the brunette's waist. "How good's your Chloe impression?" Max giggled before giving it a shot.

"It's _hella_ good." The punk expressed her unsurprised, but still amused reaction to her girlfriend's impersonation of her, gently pecking her on the forehead, just below the beanie.

"Glad you got that outta your system." Chloe stepped over to her dresser and began getting dressed in a new set of her clothes, while Max did the same, albeit with the clothes she had worn prior to donning her Chloe costume. "Let's go." Chloe held her hand out for Max to grab and she immediately began pulling off the beanie that she left on even while she was changing, however, Chloe quickly stopped her. "Keep it on. I think you look hella cute." Max beamed widely and grabbed Chloe's hand, and the two headed out of her bedroom and out of the house.

* * *

"Jesus, is there anything other than a slutty bunny costume in this place?" Chloe stuck her tongue out in disgust as she examined a large portion of the costume aisle being occupied by various fake bunny ears and tight black one-piece suits with fluffy balls at their rears to imitate a bunny's tail.

"Nope." Max gestured over to her side of the aisle, pointing to a very revealing nurse outfit, clearly designed to show as much cleavage as possible. "Slutty nurse down here." Chloe couldn't help but scoff and facepalm at the blatant perversion that surrounded her. Arcadia Bay was clearly not the favoured spot for costume shopping, and she had learned that fact the hard way.

"Man, nothing here is worth it. At this point, your Chloe costume would work far better than the crap in here." Max looked over at Chloe with a feigned look of offense, holding her hand up to her chest dramatically.

"My Chloe costume was _hella_ perfect." The brunette remarked with a giggle.

"Okay, now you're just pushing it." Chloe said with a chuckle.

More moments of searching passed to no avail, and Chloe grew slightly desperate.

 _I mean, a bear costume wouldn't be that bad, right?_

She thought as she stared at a full-furred bear outfit.

 _Who am I kidding, this place blows. Why couldn't Halloween be everything, but without the costumes. Then it'd just be free candy day, who wouldn't enjoy that?_

"Stick em' up." A familiar voice came from behind, and Chloe averted her attention to behind her, where a comical Max stood with her hands formed into the shape of a gun with a cowboy's hat perched on her head.

"My god…" Chloe's head sunk down and her hand instinctively clasped it, sparking a brief fit of laughter from the 'cowgirl'. The punk looked back up and tipped the hat downwards from its front, causing it to cover Max's view with its edge. The girl quickly took it off and smiled at it.

"We could make a pretty awesome cowgirl duo." She teased, pretending to fire at an invisible target with her finger guns, making quiet gunshot sounds with her mouth.

"You do _not_ want to see me on a horse. Bad memories." Chloe said, returning to the line of costumes in front of her.

"Why? Did a pony crap on you or something?"

"Funny. But no, rode a horse when I was eleven with my dad and the fucker knocked me off and I broke my wrist." Max tried holding back a laugh as she heard Chloe's story. "You brat! Don't laugh!" Chloe playfully pushed Max, only causing her to release the held hysterics.

"I'm sorry! I was just imagining an eleven-year-old version of you wearing a cowboy hat while riding a horse. Thought it was funny."

"FYI, I wasn't wearing a hat." Chloe jokingly corrected.

"I just think you'd look sexy on a horse." The punk now couldn't help but have the image of herself donning a full cowgirl outfit pop into her head.

"I would make a pretty badass bounty hunter." She remarked.

"Well, it looks like you got your next bounty." Max spoke in a southern drawl, with her back turned to Chloe. She then swiftly darted around in a 180 and pointed her finger gun towards her girlfriend with a grin. "The name's Deadeye Max, and this town ain't big enough fer' the two of us."

"Well, Deadeye," Chloe continued, putting on her own accent. "Looks like you'll need to put up a real fight. I only take my targets alive!" With that, Chloe sunk her fingers into Max's abdomen, unleashing a flurry of tickles which caused the brunette to recoil back in laughter. The two goofed about this way for a few moments throughout the store until they had realized that the other people in the small shop had quickly taken notice of their antics, and Max's cheeks immediately flushed red and she chuckled.

"We should leave before they call the cops…" Chloe whispered, and they both took their cue to dart out of the shop.

* * *

An audible slurp came from Chloe's milkshake as she drained the final few drops of the sweet beverage from the cartoon-decorated plastic cup.

"Welp, looks like chocolatey drinks didn't help with costume ideas." The bluenette remarked, shaking the cup only to hear hollow plastic.

"You just wanted a milkshake, didn't you?" Max asked with a chuckle.

"No…" Chloe avoided eye contact guiltily, pretending to focus on her surroundings. Max giggled, taking a sip from her own cup.

The modest establishment of Jacky's Diner was about a third of the size of the Two Whales, but it had a sense of nostalgia and hominess to it that made it all the more welcoming. It had the family-business feeling to it, evident by the young girl that seemed to be helping her father behind the counter.

Regardless, their milkshakes were phenomenal.

"So, still no costume ideas?" Chloe's question was responded with a head shake from Max and a pout. "Well, shit."

There was a brief silence as the two pondered on their own.

"We could always go back to the cowboy thing." Max suggested.

"Oh god, no." Chloe laughed. "We would probably make better pirates after that one time at the junkyard." A lightbulb seemed to have gone off in Max's head as her eyes widened and her face lit up.

"That's it!" She exclaimed.

"What's it?" The punk gave off a raised eyebrow in confusion.

"Pirates! We could be pirates!" Max gleefully answered, her smile brightening the room.

"Max, that's…" Chloe stopped herself from shutting down the childish idea as she suddenly realized the unexpected genius behind it. "…that's actually not a bad idea." Chloe envisioned herself as a nefarious pirate captain, sailing the high seas with her first mate and lover, Max, as they plundered beaches in search of untold riches and fortunes.

"So? You wanna do it?" Max's smile was contagious; shining like a beacon in the cramped space of the diner. Chloe couldn't refuse that face.

"Why the hell not? Let's do it." As impossible as it seemed, Max's grin grew even more, and she pumped her fist with excitement before leaping up to her feet and grabbling Chloe by the wrist, tugging her out of the shop and towards the costume shop.

* * *

"Can we _pleeeease_ just not do this?" Chloe pleaded childishly, putting her hands together and begging Max as the two stepped up to the Price household front door.

"Your mother is lovely, I just wanna have a chat with her." Max argued, raising her hand to knock.

"But she's boooriiiiing!" Chloe whined.

"Shush."Max knocked on the door, but the sound of the knocking was drowned out by the exaggerated groan from Chloe as her shoulders slumped.

Moments later, the door opened and revealed Joyce Price in an apron and her hair in the usual bun.

"Hi, Max. So glad you could come." Joyce greeted warmly with a smile.

"Thanks for having me, Joyce." Max replied.

"Please, come in, dinner's almost ready." Joyce stepped aside to allow Max to enter.

"Great, I'm starving." Max turned to Chloe and winked. "And so is Chloe."

 _UGHHHHH._

Joyce brought the two to the dining area, where plates and utensils had been neatly set on the table where they would be eating. Chloe was hit by the delicious aroma of casserole and meats, which reminded her of the one good reason of being there.

 _Mom goes all in when we have guests. Girlfriends, on the other hand? Words cannot describe the lengths she goes to._

"Wow, that smells _amazing_ , Joyce." Max took in the scent and seemed on the verge of drooling over the food.

"I wasn't sure what you liked so I just made a lot of different things, so I hope you're stomach's empty." Joyce said with a laugh.

Chloe and Max sat down next to each other but in contrasting moods. Max was sat nicely, a smile adorning her face, while Chloe had her arms crossed and her lips in a pout.

Moments later, Joyce rushed to the dining table with a casserole in her oven-gloved hands and placed the wide dish onto the table, sending a wave of steam up into the air in front of the girls. A beautifully cooked lasagna greeted the two with its golden cheese and crisp texture.

"Joyce, this looks _amazing_." Max drooled over the lasagna as she took in a whiff of the dish.

"Why thank you. Hopefully it tastes as good as it looks." The mother replied.

 _Okay, I gotta admit that does look really fucking good…Damn you mom and your ridiculously amazing cooking…_

A large plate of pasta followed, along with fresh pieces of bread, then a bowl of salad filled with an assortment of brightly coloured ingredients. Joyce had certainly outdone herself, and Chloe was beyond impressed.

By the end, the table barely had enough space for the massive plates and bowls that were scattered across it, and an overwhelming mix of aromas filled Chloe's nose with a sense of delight.

"Joyce, you really shouldn't have. This is all too much!" Max remarked.

"It's nothing." Joyce scoffed. "Needed something to do to kill time anyways. Go on, dig in." Without any hesitation, Max grabbed herself a generous piece of lasagna and took her first bite, reacting with widened eyes an audible noise of pleasure,

"Joyce, this is amazing." She said, causing Joyce to beam with pride.

"Thank you, Max." With that, she sat down herself and began to eat, and with no reason to wait any longer, Chloe did the same.

* * *

"…the applications were really tough to get done, I sent so many I lost count. So many portfolios, I spent hours late at night trying to get them done. Just one of those 'hate doing it but I have to for the long run' type of things, you know?" Max continued her story between bites of food as Joyce listened attentively, and surprisingly, Chloe found herself doing the same. Perhaps it was the simple fact that it was Max of all people.

"Was Blackwell your school of choice?" Joyce asked, but Max's full mouth mandated a pause as she quickly gulped to answer.

"Yep. My mom actually studied there and I heard about how great their photography program was."

"You must've been very excited when you got your acceptance letter then."

"That's an understatement, Joyce. I had a rave in my head." They both giggled.

"Were you nervous?" Max went silent for a moment after Joyce's question, seemingly in a moment of contemplation as her mind went deep into thought.

"Yeah. I guess it was a good nervous, though. Yeah, I was terrified, but I was still excited to start a new life, basically." Chloe found herself intrigued by Max's tales despite having heard them before. Perhaps there was a slight bit of bias to her thoughts. "Anyways, I am stuffed." Max lay down her fork and placed a hand on her stomach, exhaling a heavy breath as she stifled a burp. "This was absolutely delicious, Joyce."

"Thank you, Max. Glad you could have dinner with us." Joyce humbly replied. A large amount of food was still leftover as the sheer mountains that Joyce had cooked was simply far too much for three people to consume. Without having to ask, Joyce kindly offered to package some of the leftovers for Max to take, and after a long period of cleanup and dish washing, the kitchen was once again spotless as it had been before.

With coffee and dessert paired with light conversation following their meal, Max and Chloe said their goodbyes; Chloe being a little more grumpy than her girlfriend when she spoke her farewells. The girls took their leave and walked to Chloe's truck hand-in-hand.

* * *

"Ready?" Max said giddily from within her room.

"Yes, can I come in now?" Chloe asked impatiently, tapping her feet with her hand eagerly on the doorknob.

"Yes you may, captain." Excitedly, Chloe burst through Max's dorm room door to be greeted by a spectacular sight.

Standing proudly in the centre of the room was Max, wearing a silver-coloured vest jacket over white coat with gold lining. She wore leather boots and a red bandana as a scarf around her neck, topping her look off with a black eye-patch resting over her left eye.

She let out a sharp laugh and Chloe realized that she had been standing at the doorway with her jaw practically collapsed through the floor. The look was definitely convincing, but it was also cute in a strange way.

"So? You like?" Max asked.

"Holy shitballs, yes! You look so badass!" Chloe exclaimed, finally moving her feet forward to get an even closer look at her pirate girlfriend.

"I know, right! I'm a pirate!" Max giggled like a child and danced around with joy before moving to the mirror and examining her look.

"Alright, gimme your best pirate voice." Chloe said, standing behind Max.

"Uhh…" Max grew flustered as she quickly came up with a pirate impression on the spot. "Yerrr…" Chloe broke into laughter at the anti-climactic but adorable noise Max made, something resembling more of a small animal than a swashbuckling pirate. "Okay fine, Captain Hella, what's your pirate voice?" Max challenged.

Chloe cleared her throat and let out a not impressive, but still better impression than Max, giving off a hearty 'argh' and closing her right eye shut to resemble her own eye-patch. Max giggled.

"What? That was better than yours!" Chloe playfully shoved her girlfriend.

"Okay, I'll admit, it was better. But still cute."

"Fair enough." Chloe embraced her girlfriend around the waist and held her for a moment in silence. "By the way," she started. "you do realize that you've made me start a pirate fetish now, right?" Max scoffed but laughed once she realized that she shouldn't have been surprised by the remark.

"Well, you're out of luck, this outfit's getting buried in my closet till next Halloween."

"Oh, I don't know," Chloe teased, still holding her girlfriend close. "guess we'll just have to see what your stance on that is after you see me in my costume."

* * *

 **A/N: Hey all. It's me.**

 **What can I say besides sorry? I made a promise to upload more often but clearly that didn't happen as this chapter is out months after the last. Huge apologies and thank you for your patience.**

 **No excuses this time, just didn't really have much motivation to write for a while, and you all know how much I despise writing when I don't feel like it.**

 **No promises this time, I don't know when chapter 25 will be out, but I hope to have it out ASAP, I owe you guys that much at least.**

 **Speaking of chapter 25, keep an eye out for that because it's gonna be a big one. Halloween has peered its spooky head over Arcadia Bay which means Pricefield fluff but with costumes.**

 **Anyways, sorry for making you all wait, I'm very grateful for your patience and hope to see your continued support for the chapters going forward.**

 **Stay awesome!**


	25. A Nightmare in Arcadia Bay, Part 1

**A/N: Some important stuff at the end if you wanna read some notes.**

* * *

 **Chapter 25: A Nightmare in Arcadia Bay, Part 1**

Lines, comedic phrases, and doodles. It was just another day in Max's notebook as she waited for Mr. Jefferson to arrive and her photography class to get underway. Students filed in one by one and many outside either scrambled to their next classes or lounged around the halls with their friends, not caring less about being late to class.

Max, on the other hand, arrived fairly early even compared to the time she normally arrived at her photography class, giving her more time to daydream and sketch.

Minutes later, Mr. Jefferson arrived and shut the door behind him, placing his bag on the desk and pulling out some notes.

"Alright let's settle down." His charming voice calmed the room and the classroom settled into silence, the students stumbling to their seats. "Okay, good. Now yesterday we were getting started on studying Richard Avedon's work and how-" Jefferson's lecture was cut off by a sudden knock on the door. The dozens of heads belonging to the class darted into the direction of the noise, rather curious to see who had abruptly interrupted the lesson.

Annoyed, Jefferson paused himself and made his way to the door, opening it to reveal an unexpected and unknown tall, slim female figure wearing a black leather jacket over a white punk rock crop top, finished with tattered black jeans. The girl's hair was stylishly cut asymmetrically, with the left side of her bright blonde hair shaven with the other side at a length enough to cover her right eye. Her left arm was decorated with an elegant, yet bold full sleeve tribal tattoo. She was definitely around Max's age, and was beyond attractive; in an aggressive, punk rock kind of way.

She oddly reminded Max of Chloe. Perhaps it was her aesthetic.

"Hey! Shit, sorry about being late, you wouldn't believe the traffic." Her voice was slightly out of breath but also rather alluring; a voice that could easily seduce anyone.

"Right, first of all, language." Jefferson started, prompting the girl to mouth a 'sorry'. "Secondly, can I help you?"

"Yeah, you're Jefferson, right? I'm in this class, I just transferred here." She explained.

"I see. Just give me a sec, I should have you in my attendance then." Jefferson left the girl at the doorway and headed back to his desk, rummaging through his notes in search of any reference to the mysterious girl. Max found herself somewhat captivated by her, her eyes magnetized to her whole image. She certainly didn't feel attracted to her as she didn't face a similar feeling to how she felt when she first saw Chloe, but instead a fascination towards her; a motivation to get to know her.

For a split second, her eyes met Max's, and the brunette quickly looked back at her notebook, breaking the eye contact.

"Oh, are you Alexis Haines?" Jefferson finally asked after finding the right note.

"I prefer Alex, and yeah." She replied.

"Alex, okay. Right, you can sit over there, behind Max and Kate. Can you girls raise your hands?" Jefferson requested, causing Kate to oblige to inform the new girl where they were. Max on the other hand found herself frozen, unable to move as she felt a slight feeling of shock.

What was it about this girl that caused her to act this way? Perhaps she just missed Chloe and Alex just reminded her of the bluenette. Regardless, she shook her head to release herself from the hypnosis and focused on something else.

"Right, now where were we…" Jefferson continued, and with that, the rest of the class simply flew by.

The remaining time passed by as it usually did; Jefferson lectured on, occasionally making a clever or hip remark and throwing the odd question to throw off the class every few minutes.

As for Alex, the blonde remained quiet for the whole class, acting practically invisible to Mr. Jefferson who seemed too occupied by his lesson to pick on her with cheap questions. When the bell rang, the blonde simply hopped up from her chair and left the room as quickly as she entered.

Max found herself all the more curious. Alex was quite the extraordinary individual; a far cry from the typical jock, nerd, or hipster seen typically at Blackwell.

The remainder of her school day passed along as it normally did; jot a few notes occasionally, and spend most of the time doodling, all while pretending to listen to the lesson in front of her. Max didn't see Alex again after photography class, and nearly forgot about her entirely until she saw the girl sitting down at the large fountain on the main campus after school smoking.

Max stared for a brief moment, but carried on her way to her dorm but out of the corner of her eye she noticed Alex look in her direction and smirk. There was more to this girl than her rebellious haircut and leather jacket, and Max had a feeling that she would be seeing more of her very soon.

* * *

Max laid back in her bed staring blankly at the ceiling, lost deep in thoughts that branched off into new thoughts, keeping her head constantly occupied by waves of meaningless daydreams.

It was just herself in her dorm room, a rather unfamiliar feeling of loneliness as Chloe had gone out to spend some time with Rachel. Max obviously couldn't object. After all, Rachel was Chloe's best friend. She would have been lying to herself if she said that she enjoyed the isolation. She had gotten so used to having Chloe next to her so often that it felt strange when she was by herself.

Her mind eventually drifted to the slowly approaching Halloween party that she had been looking forward to all month. Only a day separated her and another tremendous memory, and she couldn't wait to show off her bold costume choice. She wondered how wild Victoria's afterparty would be. Max had never been to a proper high school party, so the thought of the scene was exciting, but at the same time, frightening.

Max's comfort zone had always been on her own, away from large crowds with only the company of her imaginative mind, so jumping straight into a party filled with strangers made her anxious.

Then she reminded herself that she would have Chloe by her side; someone who probably had been to countless, much wilder parties.

With that thought in mind, Max didn't feel so worried anymore. She felt the exact same way at the Firewalk concert and she was more than happy with how that experience had turned out.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a knock on her door. Max's head shot up, rather excited that someone needed to see her.

Max excitedly swung the door open to see none other than the glowing golden hair of Kate, standing with a gentle smile on her face and waving upon seeing her friend.

"Kate, hey!" Max cheerfully greeted. "What's up?"

"Not much." Kate scratched her head, looking somewhat nervous. "Kinda bored, I guess?" She awkwardly chuckled.

"Well, so am I, so maybe we can bitch about it together." Max joked, inviting Kate in with the gesture of her hand. Without another word, the blonde skipped into Max's room and softly took a seat on her bed, quickly being joined by Max herself.

"So, you excited for the Halloween party tomorrow?" Kate asked.

" _Soooo_ excited. You have no idea." Max replied. "Really looking forward to wearing my costume too, I think it looks great."

"Ooh! What is it?" Kate asked giddily.

"Oh come on, I wanna see the look on your face when you get to see it for the first time! Let me have a little fun?" Max teased with a sly wink.

"Ahh, Max being a little mischievous, I see. You make a good point though, I kinda want it to be a surprise too."

"Yep, and that way, it's only fair that you don't tell me your costume so you get to see _my_ reaction." Kate's eyes widened at Max's words.

"Ooh, I like that! Can't wait to see what this amazing costume of yours is."

"Ditto."

"How's it been going with you and Chloe?" Kate asked, swerving the conversation to a different topic.

"Couldn't be any better. I just love spending time with her. It's like all my life I've felt like I've been missing this big part of me and now with Chloe, I finally have it. Probably sounds kinda dorky, huh?" Max awkwardly chuckled.

"Not at all. Max, I am unbelievably happy for you." Kate's eyes moved to her feet as she twiddled her thumbs with an awkward laugh.

"Kate, you alright?" Max asked, worryingly.

"Yeah, of course. I uhh…I'm fine." Kate stuttered, displaying her clear discomfort about something.

"Kate, you sound _far_ from fine. What's going on?" Max asked, pushing slightly forward to her friend for answers.

"It's just…" She stuttered, catching her breath before continuing. "Okay, here's the thing…I uhh…The thing is…" Kate stammered, not being able to form coherent sentences.

"Kate. Just take a deep breath and tell me. Come on, you can talk to me." Max reassured, placing her hand on Kate's shoulder and smiling."

"Yeah, you're right. This shouldn't be a big deal. It's about Victoria."

"What about her?"

"She and I are in the same culinary arts class and we sit together, and her and I have gotten along really well these past few weeks. I didn't think we'd have so much in common, but we do. Recently though, I uhh…" Kate began to blush and anxiously twitch.

"Kate, do you have feelings for Victoria?" Max asked, putting the pieces together and assuming that was what Kate had been leading up to.

"No! Or…yes! I…I don't know!" Kate's head fell into her hands. Max could hear her muffled sobs. She brought her head back up just enough to continue her story. "It's just…at first, when we were in class, I thought it was just some weird feeling that would pass, but then one evening she came over to my room to help me with some chemistry homework and she just seemed so…Ugh!" The blonde's face sunk straight back into her palms as she started to cry once again.

"Kate, this is completely okay. In fact, this is a good thing, why are you so upset?" Max asked.

"Because! Max, do you have any idea how my parents would react if they found out I liked another _girl_? They'd practically disown me!" Max fell quiet after remembering the Marsh family's religious background.

Kate had spoken about how deeply religious her parents and relatives were, and while Kate did find faith and hope through religion, she considered herself nowhere near as devoted as her parents were. She had mentioned that she felt slightly guilty for having a minor desire to escape her parents' incessant practices and constant disapproval of homosexuality.

"What do I do, Max?" Kate desperately asked. Max fell silent for a moment as she carefully placed herself in Kate's shoes. It wasn't rocket science to establish that her situation was very difficult. She had feelings for a girl she didn't know how to admit to and parents who would disapprove of the entire ordeal. Momentarily, Max felt grateful that she had parents who accepted her for who she was and wished for a moment that she could trade places with her friend, to ease off some pressure.

Unfortunately, the world didn't work in that way so Max searched for other options.

"I think the first thing you should do is tell Victoria how you feel." Max suggested.

"You think so? What if she reacts terribly or something?"

"Hey, that's how I felt about telling Chloe about how _I_ felt and look at where I am now. You'll never know if you never try, so I think the least you could do is tell her. That way you can either figure out how to deal with it all if she doesn't feel the same way, or if she _does_ feel the same way, then everything works out." Kate's tears seemed to have ceased and Max noticed a tiny smile peek its way onto her mouth.

"Yeah, you're right. But what do I tell my parents? They'll hate me forever."

"Who cares what your parents think? Kate, you're an adult, you can make your own decisions and if your parents don't approve, fuck them." Max felt as if her wording was a bit too harsh, but she tried to hide it to better prove her point. The blonde took a moment to think and after a short bit of silence, a look of determination and fire appeared on her face.

"Yeah! I shouldn't care what they think! I don't care!" Kate exclaimed.

"That's the spirit! Fuck them!" Max burst out again, cursing almost instinctively.

"Yeah!" Kate looked rather hesitant for a moment before she clenched her fists. "F…Fuck them!" Max's jaw slightly dropped in shock at Kate's foul mouth. She had never heard her friend utter even the kindest of curse words before. It was as if swear words were unknown to her pure and innocent mind. "I don't care what my parents think! I'm gonna tell Victoria at the party tomorrow, then…then we'll see…"

"I'm proud of you. You should be free to do what you want, with or without your parents."

"Yeah. Fuck. Them." Kate lightly cackled at her newly found vocabulary, looking as if a beast had been let loose within her head that had kept itself hidden for too long.

"Wowsers, Kate. I've uhh…I've never seen you like this. Your face is red." Max nervously chuckled.

"That's because all my life I've done what my parents told me to do. 'Kate, you can't do this, Kate, don't buy that.' I'm sick of it! I'm tired of having to follow their every word over and over! It's my life!" Kate had almost gotten herself out of control. She was on her feet with her fists were clenched tightly. Her eyes were tinted red from her tears before but her face was filled with adrenaline and a hint of fury as she paced back and forth in front of Max.

"Okay, let's uhh…let's calm down a little, Kate." Max asked nervously.

"I am calm! I've never been more calm in my life! I've never felt more alive! Max, thank you. Thank you so much!" Kate burst forward and wrapped her arms tightly around Max, squeezing her in her embrace.

"Uhh…no problem…"

"This is it. No more caring about anything my parents say, no more being a kid. Fuck my parents! Fuck. Them!" Kate exclaimed loudly, jumping in place. She panted as beads of sweat now began to trickle down her forehead. "I feel kinda dizzy…"

"Okay, how about you sit down for a bit. Let me get you some water." Max sat Kate down back onto her bed and got a bottle of water from her desk, twisting the cap open and holding it up to Kate's mouth.

"Yeah, I think I got a little carried away…" Kate admitted as she gulped down some water.

"A little bit, yeah." Max giggled.

"Sorry, it's just…I feel like I can finally be myself, you know? I've never realized that _I_ should be the one in control of my life, not my parents. I need to start doing what _I_ want."

"Which is…?"

"I wanna be a children's author." Kate proudly stated.

"I think you would make an amazing children's author. I've seen your art and it'd look perfect in a kid's book."

"Thank you, Max."

"It's my pleasure, Kate." Max smiled, happy to know that she had helped yet another person in a desperate time.

"No, really. Thank you. If it weren't for you, who knows how much longer I would have spent just obeying everything my parents say?"

"It's nothing. I'm just trying to help. Just do me a favour?"

"Of course."

"Try not to be _too_ free. I feel like you nearly passed out back there." The two laughed and shared more jokes and stories, Kate returning to her usual, more calm self. A while later, the girls began hearing some commotion in the halls, and eager to see what the reason for the noise was, they left Max's room and heard what seemed to be loud rock music coming from the extended section of the dormitories, which lead to the rooms that were vacant.

Directly through the door leading to the branching hall was the wide open door of room 225, and the music seemed to be originating from there.

The girls slowly peeked in to see none other than Alex, dancing around in the center of a rather messy dorm room in a tank top and short-shorts, surrounded by boxes and disorganized furniture.

" _And I realize you're miiiine…_ " She sang along with the loud guitars and drums blaring from her stereo. In the midst of her antics, she noticed the peeking girls from her peripherals and stopped, giving off a rather impish smirk. "Liking what you see, girls?" She teased as she turned off the stereo.

"Oh, sorry…" Kate apologized. "We heard noise so we wanted to know what was going on."

"Jesus fuck, you guys heard that? How thin are these walls?" Alex exclaimed. "Okay, don't just stand there like a bunch of zombies, come in here!" She gestured the girls in, and seeing no reason to not enter, Max and Kate stepped inside.

The room seemed to be in the earliest phases of an epic transformation: A few rock band posters were stuck on the walls; with _Foo Fighters_ and _Queens of the Stone Age_ being the two that decorated Alex's new home. It seemed her music was more important than her actual furniture as her bed and dressers were lazily placed in the room, with a drawer almost getting in the way of the door. A vibrant, crimson red electric guitar with a black skull subtly painted on the body laid against the wall next to a modestly sized amplifier, and inside a small box was a container full of guitar picks and other musical tools.

"So, what do ya think of 'Casa de Alex'? I'm really feeling the vibes so far." She commented, stretching her arms out to present the room.

"Looks good so far." Kate agreed.

"So," Alex placed two fingers on her chin in thought. "you're Max," the blonde pointed to the brunette. "and you're Kate. Am I right on that one?" The two nodded. "Fuck yes." Alex turned around to face some of her unpacked boxes before turning back to the girls. "Now, this is probably _the_ worst thing to ask you two when this is pretty much our first real meeting face-to-face, but your girl needs to unpack, and I could use a couple of extra arms. You see where I'm going with this?"

"We can help." Max looked over to Kate to see if she was okay with giving a helping hand as well, and with a smile and a nod, Kate was in.

"Sweet. Let's see…Kate, if you could dump open that box over there," Alex pointed to a rather messily taped cardboard box in the corner. "See if you could organize it or something, I kinda just threw in any miscellaneous crap I had in there." Kate nodded and went to work. "Oh! Max, can you help me look for something, I kinda lost it in one of these boxes."

"Uhh, sure. What is it?"

"It's a CD. You'll know it when you see it."

"Alright, I'll see what I can do." Max began searching through one of the many boxes, sifting through all sorts of different items but with no disc in sight.

"So, what kinda things you do for fun around here? Any clubs or anything?" Alex asked, sparking some conversation.

"Well, we have a couple of different after-school clubs like-" Max was cut off by some laughter from Alex.

"No, I mean like, nightclubs." She corrected.

"Oh. In Arcadia Bay, unfortunately not." Alex made a face showing some visible disappointment.

"Damn. Was kinda hoping for some secret underground nightclub or something you guys keep hidden from the cops. That woulda been fuckin' sick."

"Sorry, Arcadia Bay isn't _that_ interesting. We're kinda boring actually." Max shrugged. She then remembered the upcoming Halloween party. "Actually, the school's having a big Halloween party tomorrow night at the gym, you should come."

"Halloween party, huh? Wait, do I need to wear a costume?"

"Not mandatory, but most people are."

"If that's the case, not so keen on being the odd one out, especially when I'm the new girl. I'll see if I can think of something. Actually, it isn't gonna be one of those fuckin' moochy lovey-dovey type prom parties, right? 'Cause if that's the case, I'll just order pizza and stay here." Max chuckled and shook her head.

"Don't worry, it won't be like that."

"Ah, good. I ever spend another minute at one of those, I'm actually gonna pull my fucking hair out."

"Hey, Alex?" Kate called from her box. "I found a bunch of photos here, don't really know where you want these." She said as she held up a small handful of different pictures.

"Oh, shit. Yeah, pass those over. I was looking for those." Alex immediately began perusing the images as soon as Kate handed them over, lightly chuckling as she looked through each of them. "Oh shit! It's Bobby!" Alex exclaimed, widening her eyes as she held up one of the photos.

Max looked over to see a picture of a younger Alex, one sporting a longer head of her bright blonde hair at what seemed to be a nightclub or concert, her right arm high in the air with a face of raw excitement and adrenaline. Her other arm was placed around the shoulder of a stout man with a thick, brown beard and long, frizzy hair. He seemed to be rather middle-aged, resembling the appearance of a biker, but his wide smile and energetic look made him seem a lot more youthful.

"Who's that?" Max asked.

"That's Bobby Hooper, the cool uncle I never had." Alex replied, still keeping eye contact with the photo. "We liked to call him Crazy Bobby. In fact, we had a lot of fuckin' nicknames for that chubby son of a bitch." She chuckled, presenting a look of reminiscence. "I had a lot of great times with him. Always looked out for me, that guy." The tone and look on Alex's face mad Max fear the worst.

"Where is he now?" She asked nervously, hoping to not spark any negative memories.

"He's in a better place. Died of cancer about a year ago." Alex solemnly admitted.

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Let me tell you, Bobby never went down without a fight. He fought off that cancer for a long time. Thought he fought it off for good at one point, but it came back a bit too strong for him." Alex sighed, but she didn't show any sign of shedding any tears. "I'm glad I got to say goodbye though. Also got to thank him for everything he did for me. Fucking nearly killed a man just to save my skin." The room fell rather silent, Max not knowing what to say in a situation like this. She was never an expert at consoling others. "Jesus guys, it's not like it's the end of the world. Stop giving him a moment of silence, jeez." Alex laughed, acting as if nothing had happened at all.

"Oh, sorry…" Max awkwardly chuckled.

"Relax, I'm not gonna start fucking sobbing on you girls. Especially when it's my first day here. I ain't about that." Alex took the photo of Bobby and her and placed it on her bed before standing up and walking over to the stereo. "You know what we need? Music." She pressed a few buttons, causing an instant wave of booming guitars and drums to blare over the speakers. "That's more fucking like it!"

Max looked to Kate with visible confusion, not sure what to do in a situation like this.

"Fuck yeah, that's so much better." Alex returned to her spot next to Max and began digging through her box once more, often mumbling the song's lyrics as she searched. " _Wasting another night on planning my revenge…_ "

Max couldn't help but bob her head gently to the sound, it was a very upbeat and heavy song, something easily playable at a party.

As soon as the chorus kicked in, Alex jumped into a more intense gear, taking her attention off of her box and instead looking straight at Max while pointing at her with a mischievous look, all while audibly singing the song.

" _Don't wanna be your monkey wrench…_ " She sang.

" _One more indecent accident…_ " A voice continued, but not one from the room. Alex popped with a look of confusion, but Max knew the voice all too well. " _I'd rather leave than suffer this…_ " A head of blue hair appeared at the door, and Max smiled before waving at her girlfriend. "What's going on here?" She asked with a grin.

"Oh, Chloe, this is Alex, she's new at Blackwell," Max pointed Chloe to the slim blonde sitting down next to her. "Alex, this is Chloe, my girlfriend." It was always slightly exciting to introduce Chloe as her girlfriend, despite having done it numerous times now. It was the prospect of having such an amazing partner that gave her a micro rush of happiness whenever Max did it.

"I already like you." Alex joked before leaping up to her feet and sharing a quick fist bump with the bluenette.

"Nice to meet you. So this your room here?" Chloe asked.

"Yup. These two cinnamon buns have been helping me unpack and shit."

"That's my Max, always one to help." Chloe looked past Alex for a moment to send a quick wink to Max. "So where you from?"

"Well, I travelled a lot. Spent a lot of time on the road with my brother. Finally just came down here to settle a bit."

"That's hella cool. Guessing you've seen some pretty cool shit."

"Really fucking cool shit. Honestly, I could go on for hours just talking about what I've seen on the road but I got about sixteen tons of all my shit to unpack so maybe I can tell my tales some other day."

"Well I got nothing better to do right now and since Max is here, I'll help out." Chloe offered.

"Sweet, come in." Chloe entered the room, examining her surroundings with a light smile, her eyes catching the posters that were spread upon the walls. Just as Max turned to sit back down Chloe grabbed her wrist and spun her right around, pulling her close.

"Hey." She whispered with a grin before pecking Max on the lips.

"Hey." Max greeted back, blushing.

"Well aren't you two just the most adorable thing." Alex called from the other end of the room. "It's like watching two puppies lick each other."

"Well Max is my little puppy." Chloe ruffled Max's hair. "So how you liking Blackwell so far?" Chloe asked, sitting down next to Max.

"So far so good, haven't met any fucksticks yet so I'll take that as a good sign. In fact, the people here are pretty cool. Not used to this type of crowd but I can see myself getting with it."

"I'd call that a good start. Just try and stay away from the jocks, they can never seem to keep their dicks in their pants." Chloe warned.

"Don't need to worry, probably don't have much to keep in their pants in the first place." The room filled with laughter.

"So, what are you planning on getting into?" Chloe asked.

"Cinematography. I like movies and shit." Alex smiled.

"Favourite movie?" Max chimed in, looking to piece together Alex a little more as a person, even if it was with a mundane question."

"Pulp Fiction, mothafucka." Alex replied with a subtle impression of Samuel L. Jackson.

" _The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men_." Chloe began, quoting the famous line from the cult classic.

" _Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will shepherd the weak through the valley of darkness for he is truly his brother's keeper, and the finder of lost children_." Alex continued, adding a hint of exaggerated pizazz to further sell their now brewing little scene. Max decided to pitch in, recalling the next section of the monologue by heart.

" _And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger, those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers_." Max added, keeping the scene alive.

" _And you will know my name is the Lord, when I lay my vengeance upon thee!_ " For the last line, the whole group, surprisingly including Kate, finished the quote with loud and joyful voices, letting it echo through the room and possibly into the halls. Loud enough to wake the dormitory.

The group laughed hysterically and Max mentally applauded herself for her performance. She then realized a peculiar elephant in the room.

 _Did Kate say the last line too?_

"Kate, you watched Pulp Fiction?" Max asked, turning to a blushing Kate who seemingly had instinctively blurted the line.

"Yeah, well…I kinda wanted to see it for the bible verse and then got really into it…" She answered, nervously scratching the back of her head. The other girls laughed, and Max felt as if anything but smiles were impossible in the moment.

She had a very strong feeling that she would become very good friends with Alex.

* * *

"Ready?" Asked the muffled voice of Chloe from beyond Max's door.

"Ready like spaghetti." Max blurted, too excited to make sense.

"My god, did you actually just say that?" Chloe called with laughter.

"Shut up, just lemme see!"

"Fine, fine." With that, the door swung open to reveal Chloe proudly wearing a long brown trench coat with gold buttons over a vintage black vest. She had stylish buckles and bandoliers around her body with four leather holsters around her chest. To top it all off she had a dashing pirate captain's hat atop her head with a menacing looking skull in its center.

Chloe stood with her back straight and an arrogant grin with a hand on her hip and Max couldn't help but drop her jaw in disbelief. Her reaction must have been amusing as Chloe immediately broke her act and fell into laughter which quickly spread to Max.

"You look amazing!" Max exclaimed before tightly squeezing Chloe close.

"I know!" After enough praising of Chloe's costume, the two swashbucklers ventured off hand in hand downstairs and to the gym which boomed with loud music and excited teens.

The energy was detectable from a mile away with Blackwell students lounging around the campus chatting under the dim evening light.

Max and Chloe wasted no time heading in and as soon as they opened the door, a wave of techno music filled their ears, blasting with enough bass to cause tremors in the ground.

It was a peculiar sight, seeing so many different outfits. Max caught glimpse of an array of costumes, from the typical mummy to the more specific pop culture references such as Shaggy or Kim Possible. Max rolled her eyes when she saw the inevitable sight of a few girls wearing rather revealing bunny costumes, with one wearing a nurse's outfit that seemed two sizes too small; more than likely to accent her cleavage.

"Hey, Max! You made it!" A voice called from behind. Max turned around but had to do a double take when she saw Victoria wearing a red turtleneck and a blue skirt, topped with a smooth wig of long black hair.

"Hey, Vic!" Max greeted before giving the girl a quick hug. "Lemme guess…" Max placed a finger to her chin in thought.

 _Hmm…rich clothes…black hair…an overwhelming level of arrogance…_

"Oh, you're Veronica Lodge!" Max exclaimed after finally piecing the puzzles together.

"Yep!" Victoria nodded gleefully. "Love your costumes, you too. They really fit you guys." Chloe tipped her hat forward slightly in thanks. "Oh, follow me, I have a special lounge set up for the Vortex Club, everyone's hanging out there already." Victoria gestured the two to follow and so they did, weaving through the raving crowd, bumping into arms and shoulders as they made their way through the gymnasium.

Eventually they reached a large purple curtain, separating the lounge and the main floor, covering off a generous portion of the gym's corner. They passed through and immediately they were greeted by the sight of three couches all around a table where familiar faces all laughed, including Kate.

"Hey peeps, look who I found." Victoria announced, pointing to Max and Chloe. A wave of greetings came at once.

"Max! You look so cool!" Kate exclaimed in a giddy and squeaky voice. The blonde had dressed herself in a unicorn onesie, wearing a hood with bright rainbow furs and a cute horn over her head.

"Aww, Kate, you look adorable!" Max hugged her friend, letting some of the coloured furs to touch her face. They were oddly smooth to the touch.

"Alright, girls, come sit." The group scooched over to make room for Max and Chloe and the former found herself cramped between her girlfriend and Kate, not that it bothered her. Around her were some familiar faces; Courtney dressed up as a witch, Taylor was next to her almost unrecognizable as a hardcore punk rocker; studded leather jacket, midnight black hair, and all. Hayden had put on a fairly impressive Joker makeup, with Dana next to him as a zombie cheerleader; an outfit Max assumed was fairly easy given Dana's spot on the Blackwell cheerleading team. There were also some other faces that Max had seen briefly before in the halls but didn't have names to, but it was still good to see at least a few friendly faces.

"So, you two have been dating, how's that been?" Taylor asked eagerly, immediately questioning the couple.

"I can show you better than I can tell you." Chloe remarked before grabbing Max by the cheeks and giving her a long and hard smooch. The rest of the group laughed and cheered while Max blushed in embarrassment.

"Chloe! Use your words!" Chloe simply cackled at Max's flustered words.

"Does that answer your question?" the bluenette cheekily asked.

"Very much."

"Oh, can you answer me this?" Courtney started. "Rachel and Steph, is that a thing or nah, 'cause I've heard through the grapevine…"

"Yes, they are a thing." Chloe answered. "Unfortunately for this question I can't really show you guys." The others laughed.

"Didn't know Rachel swung that way." Hayden said.

"She told me she was straight. Kinda…" Said Dana.

"Rachel can be full of shit. She's all over the place; one second she's feeling up some damn fine chick booty and the next she's sucking cock." Max instinctively punched Chloe's shoulder with a look of disapproval which masked a fit of laughter that she could simply not hold. "What? I am correct."

"You did not have to use the examples. We got the picture."

"Speaking of Rachel, where is she?" Victoria asked.

"Don't know. I'll call her." With that, Chloe pulled out her phone from one of the many pockets in her pirate trench coat. She dialed a number and held the phone up to her ear.

"Ooh! Put it on speaker!" Taylor suggested eagerly.

"Why?"

"I don't know, I like listening in on phone calls." The group turned their heads to the girl as she realized just how creepy her remark had been. "Not like that…I mean…goddammit."

Regardless, Chloe placed her phone on the table with speaker on and the sound of dialing switched on. The group all leaned in slightly to hear better as they waited in anticipation for Rachel to pick up.

"Shit, Chloe, what do you want?" Rachel's flustered voice came on.

"Where the fuck are you?" Chloe asked.

"Oh shit, what's the time?"

"It's nearly seven, everyone's already here."

"Are you serious? Oh fuck!" A few members of the group stifled in laughter at Rachel's utter disbelief and obliviousness to the time and Chloe held a finger to her lips to shush them.

"Hurry your ass up, we're at the Vortex Club lounge."

"Vortex Club…okay, whatever. Gimme a few." It seemed that Rachel had assumed that Chloe had hung up as she herself didn't end it herself, leaving her post-call conversation with an all too recognizable voice free to listen in on. "Babe, it's nearly seven, we're late for the party."

"I know." Said the mystery voice, but to Max, it was obvious that it was Steph.

"What?! Then why didn't you say anything?"

"I mean, we were having a pretty good time."

"Yeah, but…dammit. Come on, let's go." Steph groaned as Rachel demanded her to get ready.

"One more round? I got pretty close." The whole group this time nearly broke into uncontrollable hysterics, with Taylor's face flushing bright red as she had to turn her face into the couch to muffle any laughter that dared to escape her mouth. Chloe quickly tapped the button to mute her phone to avoid breaking their cover.

"Noooo…Steph, come on. They're all waiting for us." Rachel argued, her voice rather distant from the phone, presumably due to her putting on her costume.

"Fine. But you owe me when we get back." Steph finally caved.

"Whatever, just clean yourself up." The other line then went rather quiet, with only the sound of some inaudible conversation coming through Chloe's phone. The girl quickly ended the call before they were discovered, and the whole group erupted into hysterics that echoed almost as loud as the bass-heavy tracks blaring on in the background.

"Oh my god, I was so scared that they would start doing it on the phone!" Taylor exclaimed through tears of laughter.

"That was too good. Too fucking good." Victoria remarked, regaining herself as she recovered from the overwhelming amusement of the situation.

"Yo, what's up, fuckers?" Came a familiar voice. Max and the gang turned to see Alex, dressed in a suit and tie while wearing a bushy black afro wig on her head.

"Alex, how'd you find us?" Chloe asked.

"I have my ways." The girl winked impishly. "Right, how's my costume?" She presented herself.

No one said a word and instead looked at each other cluelessly.

"Goddammit. Hint: 'mothafucka!'" Her vague Samuel L. Jackson impression emerged once again, and a single exaggerated curse was enough to allow Max to see the full picture.

"You're Jules! From Pulp Fiction!" Max exclaimed excitedly.

"That's right, mothafucka!" Alex gave Max an energetic high-five.

"Excuse me, can anyone explain to me who this is?" Victoria questioned, bewildered.

"Vic, this is Alex. The new girl in our photography class?" Max explained, trying to get Victoria to recollect her memory.

"Oh right, shit. Sorry, it was the afro."

"Nice afro though, eh? Gotta tell you though, looks sick but it's fucking itchier than Satan's asscrack. I know that makes no sense." With that, Alex snatched the wig off her head and tossed it carelessly behind her before fixing up her natural hair to regain its edgy and stylish shape.

"Now you're just a girl in a suit."

"Ah, fuck it. I like the suit."

"Hey, come sit." Victoria beckoned. Once again, everyone shifted over slightly to allow Alex to join them. "Right, given that you're the new blood here at Blackwell, it's time for your interrogation. We need some hardcore info on you."

"Jesus fuck, feel like I'm back in the station again." The group looked at Alex with confusion. "By station, I totally mean bus station, _not_ police."

"Right…anyways, birthday?" Victoria started, beginning the verbal questionnaire on Alex.

"June 7th."

"Favourite animal?"

"Probably a hummingbird. I don't know why, saw one a couple years back and fucking loved it."

"Neat. Favourite band?"

"Foo fucking Fighters. Can never change my mind."

"Favourite food?"

"Fucking love pizza. But enough of the mundane shit, gimme some cooler questions." Alex impatiently demanded, leaning forward into the table.

"Alright. Where'd you live before Arcadia Bay?"

"Well, my brother and I travelled a lot. We were in Seattle for a while but after that we moved back and forth a lot. Saw some really cool shit though."

"I like cool shit. Give us some deets."

"Okay, hmm…" Alex racked her brain for some tales of her past. "Ooh. Okay. When I was fourteen I met this super cool dude named Bobby. Pretty much the cool uncle I never had. Anyways, When I was about sixteen Bobby took me to this underground pub; super off-the-book. He's already in with all the guys there, and there were some shady fuckers, lemme tell you. I saw a dude who literally had vampire teeth, no joke. Anyways, he takes me to this pool table where a bunch of tough looking douchebags are gambling away some cash and so Bobby dives in with a pretty straightforward twenty dollar bet. He hands me the pool cue with this like, cheeky grin and I must've looked fucking dumb 'cause he laughed as soon as he saw my face. I'd never played pool before, I mean, I knew the rules but I had never held a cue in my life. He's like 'your first round is on me', and I'm all like 'no fucking way, dude. Might as well just hand over your twenty now'. But he insisted so I caved and went on in. Guy I'm facing is like, real tough biker shit. Swear to got he was like, 6'5 with this scary-ass looking beard and piercings everywhere. Had tattoos all over his body, it was fucking ridiculous. He's doing that shit with the cue where you rub that blue shit on the tip, all while just staring me down with this killer look in his eyes. I'm pissing my pants and shitting myself at the same time. He starts and doesn't pot any so it's my turn. I knock one in and I think 'okay, beginner's luck'. I go again. Bam, another ball potted. By the time I finally miss a shot, I'm down to my last ball and he still hasn't even touched one of his striped ones. At this point I must've looked like a cocky piece of shit 'cause dude looked like he wanted to impale me with his fucking cue. He pots in one before missing his next, and next thing I know, I've won the game and snatched fifty bucks." Max hadn't noticed that the whole group was enthralled by this story. Everyone's eyes had widened and their mouths were agape, so fixated on this one girl and her tale that it seemed that there wasn't even a party anymore.

"Did you keep the money?" Came a voice close by. Max darted her head to see none other than Rachel and Steph sitting down by the table, as if they had been there to begin with, listening intently on Alex's story.

"What the fuck, when did you two get here?" Chloe asked, shocked. The others seemed just as surprised as she was. Everyone had been so focused on Alex that they hadn't even noticed the couple arrive.

"I don't even remember anymore, I was so focused on the story." Rachel replied. Max finally gave herself a moment to inspect their costumes. Rachel had worn a black hood and cape over a strapped leather tunic with fake daggers holstered by her chest. She wore pointy ears, resembling that of an elf. Steph on the other hand wore a long, purple wizard's robe with golden embroidered patterns in the silk. Both of them looked as if they had been ripped straight out of a fantasy game.

"Are you Caelynn?" Max asked, referring to Rachel's D&D character.

"Hell yeah I am." Rachel grinned. "You can thank Hermione over here." The girl gestured to Steph. "Her idea."

"It was a good idea." Steph argued. "Okay, screw our costumes, back to the story."

"Oh, right. Anyways," Alex continued "I was super pumped at this point. Like, I had just kicked this guy's ass and smeared him across the pool table. He was my bitch. He's all like 'beginner's luck, I want a rematch'. I'm like, okay. Put down the fifty I just won from him and say 'could take some more time out of my schedule to snatch some more cash from your sorry ass', and he gets _pissed_. Starts rubbing that blue shit into the cue tip harder than he jerks himself off. He puts down another fifty and we play."

"Did you win?" Victoria asked excitedly.

"I fucked him lubeless. Either he couldn't play pool for shit, or I was being named Greek goddess of pool. Seriously, I won two-hundred more off this punk before he up and left. By the end of the day I had…get this… _six-hundred dollars_ in my pocket. All from playing fucking pool."

"Holy fuck!" Rachel exclaimed.

"Yeah. Unfortunately, some of them weren't too happy that a sixteen-year-old was jacking all their cash so they chased Bobby and I out of there and we just bailed it. Couldn't care less I had six-hundred fucking dollars. Bought myself and Bobby some milkshakes."

The whole group laughed. Alex had managed to cement herself into the group with a single story and Max was beyond impressed at her social skills. Her way of telling a tale was mesmerizing, and true or not, the story was brilliant.

"What did your parents say to that? Were they mad?" Courtney asked.

"Not really. Can't see how they could have been when they're kinda dead." All of a sudden the mood had dropped.

"Oh god, I…I'm so sorry I didn't…" Courtney stammered, embarrassed.

"No, don't feel sorry. I'm totally over the whole crying rivers phase. Been four years I don't give a crap anymore. Hell, I'll even make jokes about me being an orphan sometimes." The whole group seemed uncomfortable with how casually Alex spoke of her deceased family. "Fucking hell, you guys are sensitive. Relax, I'm not gonna break down and start sobbing on the damn floor, you can all chill."

"Okay, I guess…" Victoria stuttered.

"Okay, new story to lighten the mood." Alex went into thought once more. "Oh! I need to tell you all about the time my brother and I ended up driving all the way up to Canada and getting in trouble with the cops as soon as we got there…"

* * *

 **A/N: Happy Hellaween!**

 **Hope everyone is doing well and I missed you all! Wanted to put this one out much earlier but ended up delaying it and thought, what the hell? Might as well upload it on Halloween…kinda…**

 **Anyways, I wanted to make this one chapter but it ended up being a bit too long so this is gonna be another two-parter like Hollowed, so hang tight and chapter 26 will be out soon.**

 **Also, here's something I wanna try: Q &A!**

 **If you have any questions for me, feel free to ask them in the comments and I will try my best to answer them as soon as possible! Will also be the first time for me as a fanfic author to be active in my comments. :P**

 **Anyways, that's all! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Love you all!**


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